Category: Leave Laws
2021 Employment Law Update: Part 12 – Tips and Trends for 2021 and 2022
In 2021, due to the ongoing pandemic, the Employment & Labor Group hosted their monthly Annual Update seminars virtually this year. For the final presentation of the series, five Verrill attorneys provide us with short video segments, detailing some of the top trends of 2021 and ways companies and...
Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Forms
As many readers know, on May 28, 2021, An Act Providing for Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave was passed. The Act creates a fund for the Commonwealth to reimburse eligible employers who provide employees with COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave. This statute provides that between May 28, 2021...
What Employers Need to Know About The Families First Coronavirus Response Act - An Animation
Navigating the ins and outs of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) can be difficult for employers. This animation seeks to illustrate some of the most important takeaways. Transcript: Hi, I'm Tawny, a partner in Verrill's Labor & Employment Practice Group. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides...
Getting Ready for Election Day: Employee Voting
Election Day is right around the corner. While many employees may choose to vote by mail, chances are you may have employees requesting time away from the workplace (or a remote work set-up) to vote in person. Now is a better time than ever to brush up on employers&rsquo...
Action Item & FAQ: New Maine Paid Leave Rules Address Business Concerns
On January 1, 2021, LD 369, An Act Authorizing Earned Employee Leave takes effect for Maine employers. Passed by the Legislature in 2019, Maine employers have been patiently waiting for clarification as to the responsibilities accompanying 26 MRSA § 637. The statute itself provides that “An employer that employs...
School is Back in Session, But Are Employees? Navigating the FFCRA in the Midst of Schools Reopening
Summer is coming to end, but not all students are heading back to the classroom. Many parents are facing the decision of whether to send their children to school in-person, enroll them in remote classes, change to a home-schooling model, and/or figure out how to balance limited school schedules...
Employer Obligations under the Revised Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201)
On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Act”) in response to COVID-19. Among other provisions, the Act gives a broad group of employees the right to emergency paid sick leave and also expands protections under the Family and Medical Leave...
COVID-19: Updated FAQs
Employers across the country are struggling with how to support their employees and their customers, and also to keep their business afloat, as the cry for social isolation to curb the spread of the novel COVID-19 (coronavirus) grows stronger. There are a lot of complicated issues that we are...
The Coronavirus: FAQs for Employers
We’ve been here before. Remember the H1N1 outbreak of 2009? That little bug originated outside of Mexico City. As the virus spread, governments issued travel warnings and schools were on notice to be extra vigilant. There was even a quarantined cruise ship and a run on surgical masks. Sound...
Five Employment Law Traps For CFOs Tasked with HR Oversight
Overseeing human resources -- a hat that many CFOs wear -- may mean having to make crucial decisions about hiring and policy, performance management and discipline, and employee terminations. Such decisions may affect HR expenses and employee morale, and also may expose the company to the risk of expensive...
Maine’s New Paid Leave Law: Employer Confusion
On May 28, 2019, Governor Mills signed into law the nation's first ever paid leave law requiring leave for any reason. The statute itself is uniquely brief, giving the impression that it is straightforward, but there are a host of important issues that the statute does not address. Below...
Summer Break - Massachusetts Employers Get Extension on Paid Family and Medical Leave Implementation
Those closely following the timeline for implementation of Massachusetts's new Paid Family and Medical Leave, are aware that on July 1, 2019, employers were required to begin to make payroll deductions for the paid leave. Did you see the "were," in that last sentence. That is not a typo...
What Maine Employers Need To Know About Changes In Personnel Practices Following This Legislative Session
On June 26, 8:00-9:30 AM, we are hosting 'What Maine Employers Need To Know About Changes In Personnel Practices Following This Legislative Session' in our Portland office. During this in-person seminar, Verrill Dana and MassPay are partnering to deliver a discussion about the latest laws and regulations that were...
I’m Sick - I Need Leave - But I Don’t Want To Use FMLA Leave
How many times have you heard, as a Human Resources professional, an employee make the statement: "I need leave, but I don't want to use my FMLA leave"? In many cases, our initial response is to educate the employee and help them understand that Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA...
Times are Changing: Verrill Dana Hosts Full-Day Conference, 2019 Annual Employment Law Update
After a year full of changes for employers paired with a new governor in Maine, Verrill Dana will reflect on recent legal developments in labor and employment law and what the new year might bring during its 2019 Annual Employment Law Update. The full-day conference will take place on...
On The Twelfth Day of HR, Verrill Dana Gave to Me…
…a stocking full of tip summaries! After a very musical few weeks, we've arrived at the final installment of our 12 Days of HR series. We hope that you've enjoyed singing along with us on our holiday-themed journey through various employment law issues—and learned a few things along the...
12 Days of HR: I’ll Be Home for Christmas—Because of Leave Under the FMLA
Employees often take time off around the holidays. In many cases, an employee's days off might be pursuant to a planned vacation or time with loved ones. However, an employee might request leave for a situation that would entitle them to leave pursuant to the federal Family and Medical...
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: When You Need Seasonal Hires to Stock the Toys in Every Store and More
It's no secret that the holiday seasons spark an influx of shoppers hunting for good deals and great gifts for loved ones. Although the prevalence of online shopping has exploded in the past few years, brick-and mortar-stores likewise see an influx of activity. I have to admit, I'm a...
FMLA, Disability, & Sick Leave Management: A Panel Discussion
Join the Maine Employee Benefits Council (MEBC) on Wednesday, October 17 for a panel discussion on the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), disability, and sick leave management. Panelists will discuss federal and state specific paid leave laws, examine the requirements for Maine employers who have employees in the particular...
The "Weinstein Effect" and Workers' Comp: When Sexual Harassment or Assault is a Work-Related Injury
Anyone who is even half-paying attention to the news has been reminded that, despite years of open discussion and training around the issue of appropriate behavior in the workplace, some things just haven't changed. There are still predators, idiots and bores among us. As the season for office holiday...
Upcoming Event: An Employer's Roadmap to Navigate Family & Medical Leave
Navigating the Family & Medical Leave Act is difficult, there's no question about that—but with an acute sense of where major pitfalls often hide, you are in a better position to navigate the difficulties that most often accompany sticky FMLA issues. On Wednesday, October 25 from 7:45am to 9:30am...
You Say Paternity, I Say Pawternity: Creative Leave Policies that Work for Your Culture
We talk a lot about the parameters of leave programs. New state laws that are popping up regularly that expand on employee leave rights. While we focus on the legal aspects of all leave laws, we do recognize the importance of having leave policies that work for the culture...
Connecticut Pay Equity Bill Moves Forward
Earlier this week, bill HB5591 , which has been touted as legislation that will help to close the gender pay gap between Connecticut employees, cleared the House of Representatives with a vote of 139-9. The bill, unlike the Massachusetts law that goes into effect next year, does not include...
Maine’s Newest Employment Laws
Earlier this month, Maine's highest court, the Law Court, held that Governor LePage's veto attempts came too late—meaning that 65 laws which he had not taken timely action on are law. Included in these 65 laws is L.D. 921, which (as a result of the Governor's failure to act...
