On Sept. 1, 2020, California amended its workers’ compensation (WC) law, under Senate Bill 1159 (SB1159), to provide a presumption that COVID-19 is a compensable, work-related condition under certain circumstances. The bill is expected to…
Choosing an Effective Hand Sanitizer Hand hygiene is an important response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands with soap and water. If those aren’t available, using…
Affordability Percentages Will Increase for 2021 The IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2020-36 to index the contribution percentages in 2021 for determining affordability of an employer’s plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For plan years…
On July 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the agency’s publication of additional guidance on applying federal employment laws in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance is in the form…
Congress has passed legislation to extend the application deadline for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan through Aug. 8, 2020. Prior to the extension, the deadline to apply for these funds was June 30, 2020.…
The Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of Treasury recently released a streamlined loan forgiveness application called the EZ Forgiveness Application. This newly released three-page EZ application is significantly shorter than the traditional loan forgiveness…
Updated Model COBRA Notices Available The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued new model notices for group health plan administrators to use to comply with COBRA notification requirements. Although plan administrators are not required to…
Why Cleaning Your Home Can Boost Overall Well-being Deep cleaning doesn’t need to be a one-season chore. Experts say doing a thorough cleaning of your home has a number of health benefits. A clean home…
In response to the American economy reeling from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the federal government recently signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Among other provisions, the CARES Act…
Small and midsize employers may begin using two new refundable payroll tax credits to obtain reimbursement for the costs of providing coronavirus related leave to their employees, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal…