How The COVID-19 Families First Coronavirus Response Act Affects Leave Tracking

Instituted by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) presents new challenges for employers. Regarding both leave tracking and employee recordkeeping, the FFCRA shifts the employer playbook to match the difficulties presented by a global pandemic. Strategic Contracting Services (SCS) realizes that most employers have systems to track employee absences and the amount of sick leave taken. However, in light of the FFCRA requirements, such policies need to be reviewed.

Every small to mid-sized business owner needs to account for the “new normal” brought on by the historical effects of COVID-19 on business administration.

On the U.S. Department of Labor website, the FFCRA is described as follows:

“The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) requires certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. The Department of Labor’s (Department) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) administers and enforces the new law’s paid leave requirements. These provisions will apply from the effective date through December 31, 2020.

Since these provisions might be extended into 2021, companies need to catch up on the new requirements and make any necessary changes.

Families First Coronavirus Response Act Support Services

SCS helps client companies with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act by providing the following support:

  • New documentation relating to leave taken specifically under the FFCRA act
  • Leave taking record keeping adjustments to incorporate FFCRA designations
  • Updating Leave Tracking software to include required quarantine periods
  • Specifying how record keeping is shifted to include FFCRA requirements
  • Beyond FFCRA, keeping track of COVID-19 expansion of state and local laws

When it comes time to adjust how companies track leaves under the new Rubicon of the COVID-19 pandemic, many questions need to be answered. For a full accounting of everything that needs to be covered, please contact Strategic Contracting Services directly. As an Employer of Record, we address the complete concerns of our client companies.

Questions to Ask About FFCRA Leave Taking and Record Keeping

Never in our lifetimes has a single ongoing event led to such drastic changes in company policy for small to mid-sized business owners. The goal of SCS is to make sure our client companies are prepared for the Families First Coronavirus Response Act without overwhelming business owners, managers, and top executives.

Essential questions include the following:

  • Is the leave personal or subject to a mandatory quarantine in place order?
  • Is a leave precautionary or related to a medical condition like a positive COVID-19 test? Does the leave qualify as a serious health condition as defined under the Family and Medical Leave Act, or other applicable state or local laws?
  • If the employee leaves to provide childcare and homeschooling for a child, is the leave classified as paid or voluntary?
  • Is the company offering telework, and is the employee willing to work from home during the leave period? Telework needs to be clearly defined.
  • Is an employee choosing to use any accrued sick or vacation time to supplement benefits provided under the FFCRA?
  • Are payroll tracking systems updated to reflect requirements and work from home options?
  • Are employees being informed of the new documentation they need to provide under the new FFCRA recordkeeping requirements?

Given the challenges of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, it makes more sense than ever before to work with an Employer of Record. To discuss how an Employer of Record can help your company, please contact us today.