The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which is the latest bill to address the ongoing economic impacts of COVID-19, has been signed into law. Most aspects of the law do not directly affect the HR function, but two of those that do—optional extension of sick...
With wide bipartisan support, Congress has approved the "PPP Extension Act of 2021," which extends the Payroll Protection Program. It had been scheduled to expire on March 31, but the application deadline is now May 31. The act further gives the SBA another month, until...
On Wednesday, March 10th, the House will pass the American Rescue Plan and send it to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. This comprehensive legislation is the latest effort in defeating the COVID-19 pandemic while providing needed assistance to bolster the U.S. economy. The...
As COVID-19 vaccines become available, employers may require vaccines before employees return to the worksite if the employer believes that failure to be vaccinated constitutes a direct threat to other employees. With the virus still rampant, it's easily transmitted. Employees wonder whether they'll be required to...
With COVID-19 vaccinations underway and widespread availability in sight, many employers want to know whether they can require their employees to get the vaccine. While recent EEOC guidance implies that they expect many employers to require a vaccine, there are already several states where bills are...
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of the flexibility in complying with requirements related to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, due to COVID-19. This temporary guidance was set to expire November 19. Because of ongoing precautions...
The IRS reviewed its collection activities to see how it could provide relief for taxpayers who owe taxes but are struggling financially because of the pandemic. The agency is expanding taxpayer options for making payments and other ways to resolve tax debt. Taxpayers who owe taxes...
Several of our employees have talked about having Thanksgiving with large groups of extended family. What can we do to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading into our workplace? Assuming you don't want to make everyone quarantine or argue with employees about their Thanksgiving dinner plans,...
We recently hired an older individual whose start date is next Monday, but I would like to push back their start date because we’ve just had an employee test positive for COVID-19. Would this be allowed? We will be testing everyone in the workplace, but...
The Department of the Treasury, in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service released guidance on the payroll tax deferral executive order from President Trump last Friday. What We Know In layman's terms, this new guidance defines the following: It allows employers to defer the withholding, deposit, and...