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Providing People Solutions |
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Providing People Solutions |
Welcome to HR Partners' COVID page. To receive our company newsletter, the HR Advisor, please click here.
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), employees have a right to request an accommodation for a “sincerely held” religious belief. Employers must provide a reasonable accommodation for workers who have “sincerely held” religious beliefs, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship on the employer. To respond to an employee’s request for a religious accommodation, HR Partners recommends the following steps:
Safer Federal Workforce Task Force Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors
On September 9, 2021, President Biden released his COVID-19 Action Plan, Path Out of the Pandemic (“Plan”). As part of the Plan, President Biden signed Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors. Pursuant to the Order, on September 24, 2021, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force released Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors Guidance, which contains three major workplace safety protocols:
President Biden signed an Executive Order on September 9, 2021, that outlines the coronavirus vaccine mandate for Federal Contractors. This order instructed the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force (“Task Force”) to issue guidance by September 24, 2021, explaining requirements and exceptions to the mandate.
FOR KANSAS CLIENTS ONLY
The quarantine guidance for vaccinated individuals exposed to a positive case of COVID-19 depends on if the exposure was from someone within the household. If the exposure comes from a household contact, the KDHE requires that the fully vaccinated individual get tested 3-5 days after the initial exposure and re-test again 7-10 days after exposure. The KDHE guidance also states that fully vaccinated individuals that are close household contacts with a confirmed or suspected case should mask in indoor settings for 14 days after their last exposure. While the KDHE recommends this practice for all exposures, it is specifically required if the exposure comes from a household contact. Fully vaccinated individuals do not have to quarantine while waiting for test results after exposure to COVID-19 as long as they remain without symptoms.
HR Partners received some great questions from one of our CEO clients recently about managing vaccinated and unvaccinated staff in the workplace. Below is the Q & A, and our guidance:
Frequently Asked Employer Questions for Remote Worker Compliance
COVID-19 had a significant impact on the way employers conduct business, with many employees continuing to work on a remote basis. HR Partners frequently has inquiries on how to remain compliant with employment laws while administering remote workers. See below for a few of the most common questions and answers.
New OSHA Guidance RE: COVID-19 (June 10, 2021)
In response to the updated guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), which explains that fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing, except in limited situations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) released updated guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace on June 10, 2021. This guidance focuses only on protecting unvaccinated or otherwise at-risk workers in their workplaces. This guidance is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations.
Great article I wanted to share from the Society for Human Resource Management. I have bolded the most important part. Because of the most recent circumstances, many of our clients have started to analyze their current compensation ranges. If your organization is challenged finding employees at your current compensation ranges, please give us a call. HR Partners can assist.
New guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) on May 13, 2021, advises that individuals who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are no longer required to wear a mask or practice social distancing in most indoor and outdoor settings, with the exception of certain forms of public transportation as well as high-risk workplaces including health care settings, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters.
Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”), employers will be required to provide COBRA premium assistance to Assistance Eligible Individuals (and their qualified beneficiaries) who are eligible for COBRA as a result of an involuntary termination of employment or reduction in hours. The premium assistance applies to periods of health coverage on or after April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. An employer or plan to whom COBRA premiums are payable is entitled to a tax credit for the amount of the premium assistance.
The Department of Labor recently released Model Notices and Frequently Asked Questions related to the ARPA Cobra premium assistance, which can be found here: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/laws-and-regulations/laws/cobra/premium-subsidy.
If you have additional questions related to the ARPA COBRA premium assistance, or need other HR assistance, please contact HR Partners at 785-233-7860.
On December 20, 2020, Congress reached an agreement on a second stimulus package that will provide immediate aid to both individuals and businesses. This bill now must be signed by the President in order to become law. The bill will impact both the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) and loans established under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).
FFCRA. Under the bill, the FFCRA is still set to expire on December 31, 2020. However, employers may voluntarily elect to continue to provide FFCRA leave (both paid sick and paid family leave) and receive tax credits until March 31, 2021. The leave under the FFCRA does not renew. This means that any employee who has exhausted their paid leave under the FFCRA will no longer be eligible for FFCRA leave.
PPP. The second stimulus package also impacts the PPP by allocating 284 billion dollars for a second round of PPP loans, as well as clarifying PPP forgivable expenses and tax deductions for PPP expenses for both the original and second round of PPP loans. Most notably, the second stimulus package will provide the following:
“As Premier One has grown from a small business to a mid-sized business, the company has gone through a number of necessary changes to manage that growth. HR Partners assists us in managing that growth by improving multiple aspects of our business that fall outside of our primary area of expertise. Kristina provided staff training in customer service and time management. Margaret assisted us in developing a comprehensive employee handbook and job descriptions that follow HR best practices. John has developed, reviewed, and advised us on a number of contracts and other legal documents.
Premier One provides comprehensive IT consulting, so we understand that business model well. HR Partners is truly the best in the business for those who are looking for HR and Legal consulting all under one roof. Thank you HR Partners!”
