April 1 Covid-19 Update

April 1, 2020 ARA Update to Recyclers

Make sure you visit here daily and check for updates on this and related topics! 

Cleaning Vehicles

• An insurance company released guidance for sanitizing vehicles on a Facebook page.  Nationwide told its direct repair program facilities that it would reimburse without documentation for “1.0 labor hour and $25 for materials” to sanitize vehicles.  Their posting is HERE.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for cleaning workplaces are found HERE.

Paid Sick, Medical and Family Leave
Paid sick, medical and family leave guidelines along with a poster that is required to be posted (see bottom) were issued by the U.S. Department of Labor.  The new rules are effective today, with a 30-day good faith non-enforcement provision.  An outline of major provisions and poster information is as follows:

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) issued guidance to employers and employees about their respective duties and rights under the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) which regulates paid sick leave as well as medical and family leave benefits.  The main provisions are as follows:

•  A “covered employer” includes a private employer with fewer than 500 employees.  A small business with fewer than 50 employees can potentially qualify for an exemption from a leave due to school closings or childcare unavailability “if the leave requirements would jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern.”
• Covered employers must provide to all employees 2 weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at the regular rate of pay if the employee is quarantined or presenting COVID-19 symptoms and awaiting a medical determination.
  
• Covered employers must provide 2 weeks of paid sick leave at 2/3 the employee’s regular rate of pay if the employee cannot work because they are taking care of a sick person or for the care of a child whose day care or school is closed or similar situations as determined by the Secretary’s of Health and Human Services, Treasury and Labor.
  
•  Employee that have been employed for at least 30 days are eligible.
• Covered employers must provide paid expanded medical and family leave at 2/3 the employee’s regular rate of pay for up to an additional 10 weeks if the employee is unable to work due to taking care of a child whose school or day care is closed.
• DoL stipulates details on several “qualifying reasons for leave” and the duration of leave depending on the reason.   (Link to DoL Guidance is at the bottom of this post.)
• There is a tax credit for covered employers to qualify for “dollar-for-dollar reimbursement through tax credits for all qualifying wages paid under the FFCRA.”  It will also include “the cost of the employer’s health insurance premiums during leave.”  This will be available on the Department of the Treasury’s website.
• Covered employers must conspicuously post a poster alerting employee to provisions of this measure.  (Link to this poster is below.)  If an employee is working remotely it can be sent to them by email or regular mail.  Posters in other languages are being developed.
• While the new rule is effective on April 1, 2020, there will be a 30-day non-enforcement period “so long as the employer has acted reasonably and in good faith to comply with the Act.”

IMPORTANT LINKS:

DoL for Employers on Paid Leave  

DoL for Details - Questions and Answers

DoL FAQ’s on Posters

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Information Sheet

For Posters:  To obtain notices free of charge, contact the Department’s Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-4-USWAGE (1-866-487-9243). Alternatively, you may download and print the notice yourself.

To apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) apply today at this LINK.

Other Links:

ARA Resource Page
KPA Sponsored COVID-19 Resource Center
Let Me Talk To My Customers, a Blog by Chad Counts
 
STAY SAFE! Stay Healthy!  Please do not hesitate to contact ARA Staff with any questions or concerns.  You can reach us at 571-208-0428 extension 2 or 3 or Sandy directly at 505-228-0401.

In order to comply with the Virginia Governor's Directive to close all non-essential businesses, we will close the ARA Office as of mid-afternoon Monday, March 25th, and work remote from home. You will still be able to reach us at 571-208-0428, Ext. 2 or 3.  However, if an immediate response is needed, please call ARA Executive Director, Sandy Blalock, at 505-228-0401.

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 For all resources, go to ARA's COVID-19 Resource Page