COVID-19 Alert: Federal & State Resources

See more related articles and posts in our: COVID-19 Resource Collection.

COVID-19 is causing disruption at every level of business – and responses are changing and evolving rapidly. Morse is monitoring the situation closely on behalf of our clients. To assist in keeping you as up to date as possible, below we provide some helpful federal and state resources to help you and your business keep up on the latest as well.

• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC):
  • The EEOC published a “What You Should Know…” about several important federal laws (including the Americans with Disabilities Act) and how employers can best navigate these laws during these uncertain times. This publication also links to the EEOC’s pandemic guidelines as well as the Center for Disease Control’s current guidelines.

• The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL):
  • The DOL issued some helpful FAQs for both employers and employees on wage and hour issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • The DOL also issued helpful FAQs related to leave issues under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (Note that this page covers only the FMLA and does not include updates related to the Expanded Family Medical Leave Emergency Act (EFMLEA), recently enacted under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. For important updated information on that topic, see Morse’s EFMLEA Alert.)

• Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office:
  • The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office compiled a list of resources for Massachusetts citizens related to COVID-19 response, including FAQs on workers’ rights and employers’ obligations.

• Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA):
  • The Massachusetts DUA issued a resource with helpful information and links for those applying for unemployment assistance related to COVID-19.

Information and responses are changing day to day and, sometimes, hour to hour. These resources are a helpful start, but be sure to check in with the Morse Employment Law Team if you have any questions.