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Webinar Recording: “The Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Impacts on Local Education Agencies”

May 5, 2020 | Publications

As local education agencies (LEAs) prepare to bring more workers back and slowly reopen their offices and school sites, managing employee absences becomes more important and difficult than ever. LEAs need to be prepared to address these absences through the newly enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and existing leave provisions, to ensure continuity of services and cost control when balancing these absences and hiring substitutes.

The FFCRA requires employers, including LEAs, to provide an additional full or partial paid leave for their employees due to COVID-19 related reasons. The FFCRA includes two additional leave laws: (1) the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA); and (2) the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA).

DWK attorneys Ellen Wu and Chelsea Olson-Murphy present an overview of the FFCRA, the interplay of the FFCRA with existing leave entitlements under federal and state law, collective bargaining agreements, and Board policies, and also, lawfully and consistently processing employee leave requests relating to COVID-19. Attendees will be provided with examples of common employee leave requests that have arisen or will arise during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how to comply with such requests.

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