In a seemingly coordinated move, both the Federal Government and Governor Lamont have passed edicts forcing boards of education to continue paying their employees and employees of contractors providing school transportation and special education services during the Covid-19 emergency. Buried in the 800 plus page CARE Act, which was signed into law on March 27, […]
On March 24, the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education (“BSE”) issued a Letter to Superintendents addressing the provision of continued educational opportunities and special education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based in part on prior guidance issued by the United States Department of Education (“DOE”) and executive orders issued by Governor Ned Lamont, the Letter addresses (1) […]
The U.S. Department of Labor issued a “Questions and Answers” document providing much-needed clarification of some of the provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The document is available here. This article addresses just a few of the issues clarified by the guidance. If you are not familiar with the basics of FFCRA, a thorough explanation of […]
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law on Friday, March 27th, providing $2 trillion in relief to individuals, businesses, and state and local governments. The law provides enhanced benefits to employees and relief for certain employers under the Unemployment Compensation systems of states, provided that the states enter into […]
Connecticut DOL Pink Slip Update In response to the current public health crisis related to COVID-19, Connecticut’s Department of Labor has updated the form provided to employees when they are discharged, laid off, or furloughed to add “leave of absence” under “Reason for Unemployment”. Employers should use this form effective immediately. The updated form can […]
On March 21, the United States Department of Education’s Offices for Civil Rights and Special Education Programs (“OCR” and “OSEP”) issued a joint guidance document affirming every school district’s obligation to continue providing a free appropriate public education (“FAPE”) to students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also acknowledging the impact of school closures […]
School districts across the state are working hard to provide virtual learning opportunities to public school students while buildings remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuing education must, however, be provided in compliance with federal and state privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”). This week, the United States Department of […]
Careful readers of the new Department of Labor poster explaining employee rights under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act noticed what may be an error, or at least very confusing language. The third bullet point suggests that an employee can receive up to $12,000 for paid sick leave and emergency FMLA for 10 weeks of […]
By Attorney Berchem Moses is committed to helping our business clients navigate this difficult time. Connecticut has announced a $25 million short-term emergency loan program. The program is intended to provide emergency cash flow relief to small businesses and nonprofits negatively impacted by the coronavirus, and offers qualifying organizations with 100 or fewer employees access […]
The Department of Labor announced that the Families First Coronavirus Response Act will go into effect on April 1, 2020, rather than April 2, 2020, which was the latest effective date allowed by the legislation. To learn about the substantive requirements of this legislation, read more here.
