COVID-19 NEWSROOM
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The CARES Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The Act includes many provisions for small to mid-sized employers and provides important measures to help business owners economically impacted by COVID-19. This document is intended to help you understand some of the key provisions impacting your payroll and related expenses.
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COVID-19 BLOGS
Current Health & Safety Restrictions
The following are restrictions currently in place that could impact businesses and their employees:
- Non-essential gatherings should be limited to no more than 10 people, while maintaining social distancing guidelines, as mandated by President Trump.
- Visitation to long-term care (adult and senior facilities), should cease, unless related to end of life.
- Employees over the age of 65 have been asked to isolate and work from home.
- Bars, nightclubs and breweries have been ordered to be closed.
- Restaurants have been ordered to cut capacity to half and organize seating that promotes social distancing. In some greater metropolitan areas, all dining within restaurants has ceased, with those restaurants restricted to drive-through and pickup orders only.
- Please refer to your county health agency for detailed information regarding your local Shelter-in-place directives.
Important Employer Actions
- Employers are permitted to require that employees provide information about their planned or completed travel to high-risk countries, but may not ask for medical information that violates employees’ privacy.
- Employers are permitted to send employees with acute respiratory illness symptoms home immediately.
- Employers are not permitted to discriminate, harass, or retaliate against employees who exercise their rights under the State’s paid sick leave laws in relation to COVID-19.
- Employers are encouraged to allow employees to work from home if the requirements of their position are conducive to remote work, and to postpone events like large meetings and trainings until the curve has flattened.
- Employers are encouraged to establish a routine to maintain a healthy workplace:
- Actively encourage sick employees to stay home.
- Educate your employees on; cough & sneeze etiquette, hand hygiene, avoiding close contact with persons, avoiding touching the face with unwashed hands, and avoiding sharing personal items with co-workers.
- Provide routine environmental cleaning of shared workplaces.
- Provide tissues, hand sanitizer, and other products that will allow employees to maintain their health and safety.
Employer State Resources
For more state-by-state specific information, please contact Big Fish and we will help guide you to the appropriate resources.
Work Sharing Program
Employers who wish to avoid layoffs and, instead, choose to temporarily reduce hours or wages, can participate in the EDD’s Work Sharing Program. This program offers to offset the reduced employees’ lost wages, helping them to avoid financial hardship, with Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. For a full list of the restrictions and requirements to participate, please visit the EDD website.
Unemployment Insurance
Payroll Tax Relief
In the coming days and weeks, many states may be providing Payroll Tax Relief as an option for businesses. California has issued emergency relief for payroll tax deposits and payroll tax fillings, effective immediately. Employer’s that are directly affected by COVID-19 and cannot file timely payroll taxes can apply for an extension of up to 60 days. California employers are eligible to request up to a 60-day extension on each individual payment of California payroll taxes (employee personal income tax, disability, unemployment). At this time, this extension only applies to California payroll taxes, not Federal or other state taxes. Reference the EDD’s State of Emergency or Disaster Fact Sheet for detailed information on this filing extension.
Employee State Resources
Unemployment Insurance Claims
Employees who have been temporarily laid off due to lack of business and expect to return to work in a few weeks may apply for UI benefits. Due to the declared state of emergency, the waiting period will be waived as well as the requirement to continue to look for work. Employees laid off permanently, with no expectation of returning to work, may apply for UI benefits with the waiting period waived. However, these employees must still meet the normal conditions, meaning they will be required to continue to look for work. Employees who miss work due to their children’s school closure as a result of COVID-19 may also be eligible for these benefits. A school closure certification will be required in the application process.
State Disability Insurance
If an employee contracts COVID-19, or is medically quarantined due to exposure to the virus, and must miss work as a result, they may apply for State Disability Insurance (SDI) benefits. During the state of emergency, the waiting period will be waived, and the SDI provides 13 to 26 weeks of benefits. Medical certification will be required to verify the illness. Employers may not require employees to use paid sick leave of any other forms of paid time off. However, employees are allowed to use accrued paid sick leave, or any other form of paid time off, if they wish to do so.
Paid Family Leave Benefits
An employee in California who misses work to care for a family member who is ill with, or medically quarantined due to exposure to, COVID-19, may apply for Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits. A medical certification will be required to prove the family member’s illness. An employee may currently be eligible for up to 6 weeks of paid leave, and that amount will increase to 8 weeks beginning July, 1 2020. Employers may not require employees to use paid sick leave of any other forms of paid time off. However, employees are allowed to use accrued paid sick leave, or any other form of paid time off, if they wish to do so.
Workers’ Compensation
If an employee is exposed to and becomes ill with COVID-19 during the course of their regular work duties, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
School Emergency Law
Employees at worksites with 25 of more employees may also be provided up to 40 hours of unpaid leave per year for specific school-related emergencies, such as the closure of a child’s school by civil authorities due to COVID-19.
CALIFORNIA PROGRAMS
This chart is specific to the state of California.
For more information on these programs in your state, please reach out to the Big Fish Employer Services team.
|
Program |
What? |
Why? |
Benefits |
Learn More |
File a claim |
|
Disability Insurance |
Short-term benefit payments to eligible workers who have had full or partial loss of wages due to non-work-related illness. |
Unable to work due to medical quarantine or illness related to COVID-19. Must be certified by a medical professional. |
Depending on income; 60-70 percent of wages may be paid, for up to 52 weeks. |
||
|
Unemployment Insurance |
Partial wage replacement benefit payments to workers who lose their jobs or experience reduced hours, through no fault of their own. |
If you have lost your job or your hours have been reduced for reasons related to COVID-19. |
Ranges from $40-450 per week, for up to 26 weeks. |
||
|
Paid Sick Leave |
The leave an employee has accumulated, or an employer has provided to employees under Paid Sick Leave law. |
If you or a family member are sick, or for preventative care when civil authorities recommend quarantine. |
Paid to you at your regular rate of pay, or an average based on the past 90 days’ wages. |
||
|
Paid Family Leave |
Up to 6 weeks of benefit payments to eligible workers who have full or partial loss of wages (because they need to care for a seriously ill family member). |
If you are unable to work because you are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19. Must be certified by a medical professional. |
Approximately 60-70 percent of wages (dependent on income); ranges from $50 - $1,300 a week, for up to 6 weeks. |
||
|
Workers’ Compensation |
Benefits include temporary disability (TD). This begins when an employee’s doctor states the employee cannot perform their usual work for more than 3 days, or when an employee is hospitalized overnight. Employees may be entitled to TD for up to 104 weeks. |
If you are unable to do your job because you were exposed to and contracted COVID-19 during the regular course of your work, you may be eligible for these benefits. |
TD generally pays two-thirds of the gross wages you lose while recovering, up to a weekly limit set by law. |
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Click any of the links below:Coronavirus Relief Resources for US Business Owners
California Employee Department of Development: COVID-19
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment: COVID-19
Governor Newsom: Executive Order California
Families First Coronavirus Response Act: What we know now
California Labor Commissioner: FAQ
Colorado Department of Labor: COVID-19
CalOSHA: Interim Guidelines COVID-19
OSHA: Guidelines to prepare your workplace for COVID-19
Small Business Association: COVID-19 Guidance
SBA: COVID-19 Disaster Loans DOWNLOAD