Grocery and Other Essential Workers Eligible for Child Care Program
On Tuesday, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services shared information on the state’s Temporary Pandemic Child Care (TPCC) program, including eligibility. Grocery store workers and other retail employees that qualify as “essential workers” under the Stay at Home Public Health Orderalso qualify for child care under the TPCC program. Employees can find a list of licensed TPCC providers here and here . When enrolling their child, grocery store and retail employees should bring a badge or other identification with them. TPCC should be used only when there are no other safe, healthy alternatives to congregate child care. Eligible families may qualify for free or reduced-price care. The state is encouraging employers, where able, to assist their employees with child care expenses.
For more information, visit www.jfs.ohio.gov/cdc .
CARES Act Provides Loan Opportunities for Small Businesses
One of the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is the Paycheck Protection Program. This program will provide funding for small business loans for those who employ 500 people or fewer, and certain other business with more than 500 employees that meet a certain standard set by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship created a FAQ document that provides important information about the program.
Additionally, the National Retail Federation (NRF) posted a blog on their website that provides a summary of the provisions of the CARES Act that benefit retailers, both directly and indirectly.
Guidance on Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave Under FFCRA The National Association of Wholesalers (NAW) has informed us that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced additional guidance to provide information to workers and employers about how each will be able to take advantage of the protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when it takes effect on April 1, 2020.
The new guidance includes questions and answers addressing critical issues such as what documents employees can be required to submit to their employers to use paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave; whether workers can take paid sick leave intermittently while teleworking and whether workers whose employers closed before the effective date of the FFCRA can still get paid sick leave. This guidance adds to a growing list of compliance assistance materials published by WHD, including a Fact Sheet for Employees , a Fact Sheet for Employers , and an earlier Questions and Answers document. Available are two new posters, one for federal workers and one for all other employees , that will fulfill notice requirements for employers obligated to inform employees about their rights under this new law, Questions and Answers about posting requirements and a Field Assistance Bulletin describing WHD’s 30-day non-enforcement policy.
WHD provides additional information on common issues employers and employees face when responding to COVID-19 and its effects on wages and hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act and job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act at: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic .
For more information about the laws enforced by the WHD, call 866-4US-WAGE, or visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd . Our thanks to NAW for sharing this information with us.
Please feel free to e-mail us at info@ohioretailmerchants.com with questions. Stay well.