Monthly Archives: March 2020

The CARES Act Provides Substantial Assistance to American Businesses

By Daniel Finerty and Oyvind Wistrom

 On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act,” or the CARES Act (“Act”), the most dramatic financial legislation yet in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, the Act provides $2 trillion in financial assistance, a portion of which is allocated to American businesses, in addition to clarifying and delaying the terms of some business obligations going forward.

Changes and Clarifications to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

The Act provides a few clarifications and makes modest changes to the extended Family Medical Leave Act provisions in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Those changes include definitional changes and clarifications as to the limitation on paid leave:

  • An addition to the definition of “eligible employee” (defined as employed for at least the last 30 calendar days) to include an employee who was laid off by the employer March 1, 2020 or later, worked for the employer for at least 30 days in the last 60 calendar days prior to the lay-off and was subsequently rehired by the employer. (Section 3606.) Therefore, employers should ensure that the amended definition is applied when considering who is eligible for Emergency FMLA.
  • The Act also clarifies that an employer shall not be required to pay “more than $511 per day and $5,110 in the aggregate for each employee,” when the employee is taking leave for the following reason (the numbers correspond to those outlined in the FFCRA):
  1. The employee is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID–19;
  1. The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID–19; or,
  1. The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID–19 and seeking a medical diagnosis. (Section 3602.)
  • The Act further clarifies that “[a]n employer shall not be required to pay more than $200 per day and $10,000 in the aggregate for each employee” for paid leave, which was not specifically made clear in the FFCRA, for employees taking leave for the following reasons:
  1. The employee is caring for an individual subject to an order described in (1) or self-quarantine as described in (2) above;
  1. The employee is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) for reasons related to COVID-19; or
  1. The employee is experiencing any other substantially-similar condition specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and Treasury. (Section 3601.)

Unemployment Insurance Support

The Act not only provides additional funds for unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits through the Department of Labor (“DOL”) but provides states, like Wisconsin, with the opportunity to secure additional supplement benefits. It appears that the federal government is covering 100% of the costs of the expanded UI benefits, and covering the additional administrative expenses that will be incurred to provide these benefits; however, while it does not appear these amounts will have to be repaid to the federal government in a manner similar to prior DOL loans taken in 2008 and 2009, it is not entirely clear.

Support for Non-Traditional Workers

The Act provides the following support to states and waives other DOL requirements:

  • The Act provides additional UI benefits, if caused by COVID-19, to those who are:
  • Self-employed;
  • Seeking part-time employment;
  • Do not have sufficient work history, or otherwise would not qualify for regular unemployment or extended benefits under State or Federal law or pandemic emergency unemployment compensation.

The inclusion of these non-traditional groups is a reflection of the need to allow UI support to a broader category of workers to whom traditional UI is not usually available, such as independent contractors. Specifically exempted from this section, however, are those who have the ability to telework with pay or who are receiving paid sick leave or other paid leave benefits. (Sec. 2101).

In addition to providing independent contractors the ability to apply for Small Business Administration (“SBA”) loan (see below), independent contractors (“ICs”) may able be entitled to obtain UI benefits through the provision above. Business should communicate with their ICs to let them know these avenues of additional relief may be available. However, consideration should be given to the impact of an IC filing for UI on a business’s reserve account compared to an IC seeking to access relief through an SBA loan. The former action portrays an IC akin to an employee, while the latter action stresses the independent nature of the IC’s business and the risk associated with that business. Whether a UI filing by an IC will come back to haunt a business sometime down the road is anyone’s guess.

Waiver of Waiting Period

While DOL typically requires a waiting period before UI benefits start, the federal waiting period has been waived and DOL has offered to pay for the one-week waiting period; however, two clarifications are necessary. First, Wisconsin must opt into this benefits by entering into an agreement with DOL to provide for full DOL funding for the first week of UI benefits. The Unemployment Insurance Division is indicating that they are awaiting further word from DOL on this issue.

Second, if Wisconsin does opt in, which remains to be seen, Wisconsin’s waiting period is statutory in nature instead of a regulatory requirement which could be waived by the Governor. See Wis. Stats. §§ 108.02(26m), 108.04(3). These provisions must be amended by the Legislature and enacted by the Governor. Assembly Bill 1034, relating to the suspension of the waiting period for collection of unemployment insurance benefits, has been introduced in the Assembly and referred to the Rules Committee. Accordingly, the one-week waiting period is still in place pending further action in the Assembly.

Additional UI Supplemental Funding

States can also, upon agreement with DOL, receive additional federal funding through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), for a period of their choosing to end no later than December 31, 2020, to provide UI benefits, where permissible under state law in a supplemented amount. This supplemented amount includes the amount permitted by state law plus “an additional amount of $600.” (Section 2104.) Wisconsin must also opt into or agree to receive this DOL funding.

Tax Credits

Other sections of the Act provide a business tax credit based on a percentage of wages paid to be taken as a tax credit, for businesses closed due to COVID-19 if the business sustains a specifically outlined loss in gross receipts provided the business achieves the same or similar gross revenue from the calendar quarter in the prior year. (Section 2301.)

Delay of Employer Payroll Taxes

Additional provisions delay the obligation to pay employer payroll taxes. (Section 2302.) The Act postpones the due date for depositing employer payroll taxes and 50% of self-employment taxes related to Social Security and attributable to wages paid during 2020. Any deferred tax payments would then be due in two installments, the first at the end of this year on December 31, 2021 and the second half due a year after on December 31, 2022.

Employee Retention Credit

The Act provides eligible employers, including 501(c)(3) entity non-profits, with a refundable credit against payroll tax (Social Security) liability equal to 50% of the first $10,000 in wages per employee (including value of health plan benefits). To be eligible, the business must have carried on a trade or business during 2020 and satisfy one of two tests. First, the business must have operations fully or partially suspended due to orders from a governmental entity limiting commerce, travel, or group meetings. Second, alternatively, the business must experience a year-over-year (comparing calendar quarters) reduction in gross receipts of at least 50% – until gross receipts exceed 80% year-over-year.

For employers with more than 100 full-time employees, only employees who are currently not providing services for the employer due to COVID-19 causes are eligible for the credit. The employee retention credit is effective for wages paid after March 12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021.

SBA Paycheck Protection Program

The $349 billion SBA lending program will help keep small businesses operating, to keep their workers employed and to encourage rehiring of employees that have been furloughed or laid off. Eligible businesses include certain business concerns, nonprofit organizations, veterans’ organizations, or certain Tribal business concerns with fewer than 500 employees, hospitality businesses with fewer than 500 employees at each location, sole-proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals. (Section 1102(2)). The maximum amount of any such loan is calculated using a formula based upon number of employees and other factors, not to exceed $10,000,000.

For an eligible self-employed individual, independent contractor, or sole proprietorship seeking a covered loan, these entities must submit such documentation as is necessary to establish eligibility, including payroll tax filings reported to the Internal Revenue Service, Forms 1099–MISC, and income and expenses from the sole proprietorship.

These businesses may be eligible for forgiveness of indebtedness on a covered loan in an amount equal to the sum of the costs incurred and payments made during the time of the loan including payroll costs, any payment of interest on any covered mortgage obligation (which shall not include any prepayment of or payment of principal on a covered mortgage obligation), any payment on any covered rent obligation and any covered utility payment. When forgiven, the amount of the loan is paid by the federal government to the lender.

Of particular note for businesses is that these loans may be forgiven for an amount equal to the amount spent on payroll (capped at $100,000 in wages), rent, mortgage interest, and utilities for eight weeks beginning on the origination date of the loan. However, forgiveness will be reduced in proportion to any reduction in employees and to a reduction in employees’ pay of greater than 25 percent.

The SBA will issue implementing regulations within 15 days of the Act’s enactment. Regulations are likely on either Saturday, April 11, 2020, or the next business day, Monday, April 13, 2020. The provisions are retroactive to February 15, 2020, and cover loans from that date to June 30, 2020.

Additional Business Loans to Distressed Industries

The Act creates a new Business Loan Program category (Program) for a period from February 15, 2020 to June 30, 2020 and allows the SBA to provide 100% federally-backed loans up to a maximum amount to eligible businesses to help pay operational costs like payroll, rent, health benefits, insurance premiums, utilities, etc. to certain recipients subject to certain conditions. The Program provides financing for banks to loan money to business with between 500 and 10,000 employees; specifically, $25 billion is allocated for passenger airlines; $4 billion for cargo airlines; $17 billion for businesses critical to “maintaining national security;” and $454 billion for loans, loan guarantees, and investments in businesses and municipalities.

Notably, the $454 billion Program provides assistance to businesses that otherwise do not receive relief under the Act and, in this regard, this program should be considered a business’s option of last resort. While there are numerous conditions upon a loan under the program, among those that are troubling from a labor and employment perspective are the following conditions, which the business must certify that:

  • The funds the business receives will be used to retain at least 90 percent of the business’s workforce, at full compensation and benefits, until September 30, 2020;
  • The business intends to restore not less than 90 percent of the business’s workforce that existed as of February 1, 2020, and to restore all compensation and benefits to the workers no later than 4 months after the termination date of the public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on January 31, 2020;
  • The business will not outsource or offshore jobs for the term of the loan and 2 years after completing repayment of the loan;
  • The business will not abrogate existing collective bargaining agreements for the term of the loan and 2 years after completing repayment of the loan; and,
  • The business will remain neutral in any union organizing effort for the term of the loan.

(Section 4003(c)(3)(D)). Because of the uncharted territory that both union and non-union businesses are traveling, in which the economic future may not be predictable, it may be understandably difficulty to certify these conditions and/or comply with them in the long-run. In addition to the difficulty of this certification, this Program does not provide loan forgiveness and requires a business that is not publicly traded provide the government with a warrant, equity interest or senior debt instrument in the business. As a result, to the extent support is available through other SBA programs, businesses should turn to those options first.

Pension Extensions

The Act permits single-employer pension plan businesses to delay the due date for any contribution otherwise due during 2020 until January 1, 2021. As such, a business’s contribution typically due on July 1, 2020 may be delayed until January 1, 2021, which will free up financial resources that can be used to assist in pandemic response and/or ramp up when the economy comes back on line.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact your Lindner & Marsack attorney.

This Legal Alert provides an overview of a specific developing situation. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice for any particular fact situation.

DOL ISSUES MODEL NOTICE FOR FAMILIES FIRST CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT

By; Sally A. Piefer

This afternoon the Department of Labor (DOL) issued its Families First Coronavirus Response Act Notice. A copy of the notice can be found here.

Please note the following about the Notice:

  • The effective date for the new Act will be April 1, 2020.
  • Covered employers (those with fewer than 500 employees) must post this notice in a conspicuous place on your premises.
  • For employees who are already working remotely or are on leave, you may also satisfy your posting requirement by emailing or mailing a copy of the notice to employees, or posting it on your intranet.
  • You need not provide the notice to employees who are laid off. You only need to provide notice to current employees.
  • If you are hiring new employees, you must convey the notice to them, either by email, direct mail or by posting the notice on your premises. If new employees will not have access to your premises, we recommend conveying the notice by email or direct mail.

While not required to post the notice in multiple languages, be aware that the DOL is working on translating the notice in other languages.

We will continue to monitor further COVID-19 developments. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your Lindner & Marsack attorney.

GOVERNOR EVERS SIGNS EMERGENCY ORDER #12, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SAFER-AT-HOME ORDER

Today, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers directed the Department of Health Services (DHS) to issue a Safer at Home order that prohibits all nonessential travel, with various exceptions.  The Order is available here.

Businesses should review the Order to see if they quality as an exempted business and, if not, what restrictions exist.  If a business is unsure whether it qualifies as an essential business under the Order, representatives are encouraged to contact the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation https://wedc.org/essentialbusiness/ for clarification.  For businesses not exempted from coverage by the Order to which exceptional circumstances apply, an exemption from the Order can be requested:

In the exceptional circumstance that a business is not listed in this Order as an Essential Business or Operations but believes that it should be included in that designation, a business is not listed in this Order as an Essential Business or Operations but believes that it should be included in that designation, the business should consult the information page on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) website.  If a business still believes that it does not fall within the meaning of Essential Businesses and Operations, it may apply to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) using the provided form requesting designation as such.

Order, Section 13(z), p. 14.  The order is effective from 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 until 8:00 a.m. Fri., April 24, 2020, or until the Governor issues a superseding Executive Order.

As a result of the Order, the majority of Lindner & Marsack, S.C. personnel will be working from home, except for a small number of employees necessary to complete on-site projects each day.  All employees are available as if they were sitting at their desk.

PRESIDENT SIGNS FAMILIES FIRST CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT

By Sally Piefer and Oyvind Wistrom

Last evening the President signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The legislation had passed the Senate only hours before. The Response Act has a number of provisions which employers must be aware of—an expansion of the federal Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and a paid sick time.

Expansion of the FMLA

The expanded provisions, which provide coverage for public health emergency leave, are in place through December 31, 2020, and this public health emergency leave covers all employers with fewer than 500 employees. This is a significant departure from the current provisions of the FMLA—which apply to employers with 50 or more employees who work within a 75-mile area. An eligible employee is one who has been employed with the employer for at least 30 calendar days.

The new leave provides coverage for employees who are unable to work (or telework) because they need leave to care for a child (under age 18) if the child’s elementary or secondary school or place of care has been closed or if the child care provider is unavailable because of a public health emergency. Of course, the term “public health emergency” means an emergency with respect to COVID-19 declared by a federal, state or local authority. This is the only qualifying need for emergency FMLA leave and is a departure from the earlier version of the bill.

The specific leave provisions allow an employee to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave. If the need for such leave is foreseeable, the employee must provide notice of leave as soon as practicable. The first 10 days of leave are unpaid, but the employee may substitute available paid leave. After the first 10 days, the employer must provide paid leave for each day the employee takes leave, up to a maximum of 12 total weeks of leave. Pay for the employee must be at no less than 2/3 of the employee’s regular rate of pay for each hour the employee would normally be scheduled to work. Special rules are in place for employees who have variable work schedules. The pay is also capped at $200 per day and $10,000 in total.

Employees are also generally entitled to reinstatement—but restoration is not required of an employer with less than 25 employees if (i) the position the employee held does not exist due economic conditions or other conditions caused by the public health emergency; (ii) the employer makes a reasonable effort to restore the employee to a position similar to the one held before the leave, with equivalent pay, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment; and (iii) if the employer’s reasonable efforts fail, the employer makes reasonable efforts to contact the employee if an equivalent position becomes available during the earlier of the 1-year period after the public health emergency concludes or the date which is 12 weeks after the date the employee’s leave began.

Employers who are subject to a multi-employer collective bargaining agreement (CBA) can fulfill their obligations under this FMLA expansion by making contributions to the fund, plan or program based on the paid leave provisions provided under the CBA.

Emergency Paid Sick Leave

The Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act provisions of the legislation mandate that employers who employ less than 500 employees provide limited paid sick leave to employees who are unable to work (or telework) because of leave needed for any of the following reasons:

  1. The employee is subject to a state, federal or local quarantine or isolation related to COVID-19;
  2. The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19;
  3. The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking a medical diagnosis;
  4. The employee is caring for an individual subject to a state, federal or local quarantine or isolation related to COVID-19;
  5. The employee is caring for their child if the child’s school or place of care has been closed, or the child care provider is unavailable due to COVID-19 precautions; or
  6. The employee is experiencing any other substantially similar conditions specified by the Secretary of HHS in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor.

All employees are eligible for the emergency paid sick leave—regardless of the length of their employment. After the first workday an employee needs leave, the company may require an employee to follow its normal call-in procedures to continue receiving paid sick time. However, employers may not require employees to first exhaust other available paid leave before providing emergency paid sick leave. This emergency leave is in addition to, other leave which an employer may already provide under existing policies or CBAs.

For full-time employees, the paid sick leave is limited to 80 hours; for part-time employees, the paid leave is equal to the number of average hours that an employee works during a 2-week period.

The sick leave is paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay for qualifying leave reasons 1-3 above, but only at 2/3 of the employee’s regular rate of pay for qualifying reasons 4-6. Paid sick leave is calculated at not less than the greater of the following: (i) the employee’s regular rate of pay, (ii) the federal minimum wage or (iii) the state minimum wage in the state in which the employee is employed. The pay is further limited and shall not exceed $511 per day (or $5,110 in the aggregate) for leave connected with reasons 1-3 above, and shall not exceed $200 per day (or $2,000 in the aggregate) for reasons 4-6 above. Different rules apply for employees with variable work schedules.

This paid sick leave does not carry over from one year to the next, and this part of the legislation also sunsets on December 31, 2020. Employers may not discriminate against, discipline or discharge an employee who takes emergency paid sick leave, files a complaint or initiates a lawsuit about the emergency leave, or otherwise participates in a proceeding. Employers who violate the Act are subject to the same penalties as are provided for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Small employers employing fewer than 50 employees may be able to claim an exemption to the requirements of the paid sick leave portion of the Act if it can show that compliance would jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern.

Tax Credits for Employers

The Act also provides a series of refundable tax credits for employers who are required to provide the Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Paid Family and Medical Leave described above. These tax credits are allowed against the employer portion of social security and Medicare taxes (collectively referred to as FICA). While this limits application of the tax credit, employers will be reimbursed if their costs for qualified sick leave or qualified family leave wages exceed the taxes they would owe.

Specifically, employers are entitled to a refundable tax credit equal to 100% of the qualified sick leave wages paid by the employer for each calendar quarter in adherence with this Act. The qualified sick leave wages are capped at $511 per day ($200 per day if the leave is for caring for a family member or child).

Similarly, employers are entitled to a refundable tax credit equal to 100% of the qualified family leave wages paid by the employers for each calendar quarter in accordance with this Act. The qualified family leave wages are capped at $200 per day for each individual up to $10,000 total per calendar quarter. Only those employers who are required to offer Emergency FMLA and Emergency Paid Sick Leave may receive these credits.

Next Steps

The Secretary of Labor will have the authority to (i) issue regulations, (ii) exclude certain health care providers and emergency responders from the definition of an eligible employee and (iii) exempt small businesses with less than 50 employees where compliance would jeopardize the viability of the business.

The effective date of the new mandate will be no later than 15 days after the Act was signed by President Trump, which means an effective date no later than April 2, 2020.  Also, a model notice that employers will need to post, should be available from the Secretary of Labor within the next week, and regulations for calculating the paid sick leave are supposed to be available within the next 15 days.

We will continue to monitor further COVID-19 developments. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your Lindner & Marsack attorney.

 

This Legal Alert provides an overview of a specific developing situation. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice for any particular fact situation.

 

COVID-19 Update and Cancellation of Firm Seminar

By: Oyvind Wistrom

These are difficult and unusual times, to say the least.  We wanted to let you know that Lindner & Marsack, S.C. remains as committed as ever to your success, and are working extra diligently to help you prepare and answer questions about COVID-19, and to navigate this quickly evolving situation.

To do this, we will be making a few changes that will help us to continue to serve our clients (while keeping you and our staff safe).  Here are some of the things we are doing:

  • We have ensured that there will be no disruption in our service to you. Many of our attorneys are fully equipped to work from home. Our IT infrastructure is backed up and is secured.
  • We will continue to provide you with E-alerts as necessary to help address the continually evolving legal landscape associated with COVID-19.
  • At this point, we are not prohibiting any visitors from entering our offices. This policy may change, depending on further word from the CDC, and we will keep you posted.
  • If clients prefer, we can shift in-person client meetings to conference calls.
  • If any of our lawyers are working remotely, calls can be forwarded to their cell phones and the voicemail messages will continue to be sent to the lawyer via email.
  • We have cancelled the May 6, 2020 Firm Seminar, which was scheduled to be held at the new Brookfield Conference Center. We are planning to present information from this seminar through periodic E-alerts after we stabilize from the effects of the coronavirus.

Thank you for your understanding as we take these precautionary steps.  If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your Lindner & Marsack attorney.

Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation In-Person Hearings, Prehearings and Mediations Suspended!

By: Chelsie Springstead

Per the OWCH COVID-19 Notice from State of Wisconsin, Division of Hearings and Appeals, issued on Friday, March 13, 2020, as of next Monday, March 23, 2020, the Office of Worker’s Compensation Hearings will stop conducting in-person hearings, prehearings and mediations.  This is expected to continue through April 20, 2020.

Hearings will be converted to telephonic settlement conferences.  Prehearings and mediations will be conducted telephonically, as well.  Revised notices will be sent out to all parties with call-in instructions.

Please note that Hearings scheduled for this week, March 16-20, are still being held in-person.  However, the parties can contact the Administrative Law Judge assigned to the file if they would like to convert any hearings this week to telephonic settlement conferences.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Chelsie Springstead or any member of the Lindner & Marsack worker’s compensation team.  We will continue to provide you with email updates as things change.

 

 

Addressing COVID-19 Workplace Issues: Responding to Employers’ Most Common Questions

By:  Oyvind Wistrom and Sally Piefer

The NBA has suspended play.  The NCAA tournament has been cancelled.  The World Health Organization (WHO) has now declared that the COVID-19 Coronavirus is a pandemic.  Either your business has already been directly or indirectly affected or it inevitably will be affected by COVID-19.  What can you do as an employer?  The following tips should help you navigate the novel issues created by this unprecedented situation.

  1. What if an employee reports to work with flu-like symptoms – what can we do as an employer?

If any employee presents themselves at work with a fever or difficulty breathing, employers may ask such employees if they are experiencing influenza-like symptoms, such as fever or chills and a cough or sore throat.  Employers must maintain all information about employee illness as a confidential medical record in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  If an employee is experiencing these symptoms, the employee should be directed to seek immediate medical evaluation.  It is also recommended that employers train supervisors on how to recognize these symptoms, while stressing the importance of not overreacting to situations in the workplace potentially related to COVID-19 in order to prevent panic among the workforce.

  1. Can we ask an employee to stay home or leave work if they exhibit symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus or the flu?

Yes.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has made it clear that employees who exhibit influenza-like symptoms at work during a pandemic should leave the workplace and be asked to stay home.  Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home until they are free of a fever (100.4º F), signs of a fever, or any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom altering medicines.  Now that the COVID-19 virus has been declared a pandemic by the WHO, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has stated that advising workers to go home is not disability-related if the symptoms presented are akin to the seasonal influenza.  An employer may therefore require workers to go home if they exhibit symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus or the flu without running afoul of the EEOC’s interpretation of the ADA.

  1. Can an employer take an employee’s temperature at work to determine whether they might be infected?

Maybe.  The ADA places restrictions on the inquiries that an employer can make into an employee’s medical status, and the EEOC considers taking an employee’s temperature to constitute a “medical examination” under the ADA.  The ADA prohibits employers from requiring medical examinations and making disability-related inquiries unless (1) the employer can show that the inquiry or exam is job-related and consistent with business necessity, or (2) the employer has a reasonable belief that the employee poses a “direct threat” to the health or safety of the individual or others that cannot otherwise be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation.

The EEOC takes the position during a pandemic that employers should rely on the latest CDC and state or local public health assessments to determine whether the pandemic rises to the level of a “direct threat.”  The assessment by the CDC as to the severity of COVID-19 will likely provide the objective evidence needed for a medical examination.  If COVID-19 becomes widespread, as determined by state or local health authorities or the CDC, then employers would likely be permitted to take an employee’s temperature at work.  However, as a practical matter, an employee may be infected with COVID-19 without exhibiting any symptoms such as a fever, so temperature checks may not be the most effective method for protecting your workforce.

  1. An employee of ours has tested positive for COVID-19. What should we do?

In addition to sending the employee with the positive test home, you should send all employees who worked closely with that employee home for a 14-day period of time to ensure the infection does not spread.  Make sure the affected employee identifies all individuals who worked in close proximity (within six feet) with them in the previous 14 days to ensure you have a full list of those who should be sent home.  When sending the employees home, do not identify by name the infected employee or you could risk a violation of the ADA.  You may also want to consider asking a cleaning / remediation company to undertake a deep cleaning of your affected workspaces. If you work in a shared office building or area, you should inform building management so they can take whatever precautions they deem necessary.

  1. Can an employee refuse to come to work because of fear of COVID-19 infection?

Employees are only entitled to refuse to report to work if they believe they are in imminent danger.  Section 13(a) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) defines “imminent danger” to include “any conditions or practices in any place of employment which are such that a danger exists which can reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm immediately or before the imminence of such danger can be eliminated through the enforcement procedures otherwise provided by this Act.”  This is a relatively high standard that requires a “threat of death or serious physical harm,” or “a reasonable expectation that toxic substances or other health hazards are present, and exposure to them will shorten life or cause substantial reduction in physical or mental efficiency.”

For an employee to refuse to report for work, the threat must be immediate or imminent, which means that an employee must believe that death or serious physical harm could occur within a short period of time.  Requiring travel to certain areas of the world or requiring employees to work with patients in a medical setting without personal protective equipment at this time may rise to this threshold.  Most work conditions in the United States, however, would not presently meet this threshold.  Each case must be evaluated on its own merits and employers should seek to determine whether their workplace creates imminent danger to employees.

  1. May an employer require a new employee to have a post-offer medical examination to determine their general health status?

Yes, the ADA allows a medical examination of a new employee as long as it is required only after a conditional offer of employment is made.  The medical examination is permitted so long as all entering employees in the same job category are required to undergo the medical examination and the information obtained regarding the medical condition or history of the applicant is collected and maintained on separate forms and in separate medical files and is treated as a confidential medical record.

Employers may also ask if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 – fever, cough, shortness of breath or other acute respiratory symptoms.  If the applicant or new employee answers yes, then you can ask them to delay starting for 14 days.  Be sure to maintain the confidentiality of the responses.

  1. May an employer encourage employees to telework (i.e., work from an alternative location such as home) as an infection-control strategy during a pandemic?

Yes.  Telework is an effective infection-control strategy that is also familiar to ADA-covered employers as a reasonable accommodation.  In addition, employees with disabilities that put them at high risk for complications of pandemic influenza may request telework as a reasonable accommodation to reduce their chances of infection during a pandemic.  An employer is not required to provide telework as an option to all employees, but is recommended that if the opportunity is presented to a certain classification of employees, all other employees in that job classification should similarly be permitted to telework.

8.     During a pandemic, may an employer require its employees to adopt infection-control practices, such as regular hand washing, in the workplace?

Yes.  Requiring infection control practices, such as regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and proper tissue usage and disposal, does not implicate the ADA.  The messages you should be giving to your employees are:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with others, especially those who are sick.
  • Refrain from shaking hands with others for the time being.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
  • And, perhaps most importantly, tell employees to stay home if they are sick.

9.     Can we require employees who are sent home or who do not report for work to use accrued PTO time?

Yes.  At least under Wisconsin law, an employer may require employees to use accrued PTO time if they are unable or unwilling to report to work – this is the case even if the employer shuts down a facility and the employee is therefore unable to work.  The only exception in Wisconsin would be with respect to employees who suffer from a serious health condition under the Wisconsin FMLA.  In such cases, an employer is not permitted to mandate that employees use their personal PTO time during the pendency of the Wisconsin approved portion of the FMLA leave (two weeks).  After an employee has used up their two-week allotment of Wisconsin FMLA, an employer can then mandate that PTO be utilized.

  1. As Spring Break is approaching, what questions can I ask about employees’ personal vacations?

You can ask your employees whether they have traveled to any locations the CDC or state health officials have indicated are destinations with a risk of community-spread coronavirus—currently about 30 countries in Europe (along with China, Iran, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan & Thailand).  Check the CDC website for a list of current countries (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel).  The CDC recommends that anyone traveling to these countries should stay home for 14 days from the time the employee left the country and to practice social distancing.  Some employers have initiated mandatory time away from work if employees are returning from a country on the CDC list.

You can also ask employees whether they been on a cruise ship.  If on a cruise ship in the last 14 days, the employee should stay home for 14 days if a case of Coronavirus was reported on the ship during the cruise.  Otherwise, it does not appear the CDC is currently recommending any work-related social distancing – unless the person is exhibiting symptoms – fever, cough, trouble breathing.  However, the situation is in constant flux, so you may want to check the CDC website or contact legal counsel for up to date guidance.

Lindner & Marsack, S.C. represents employers in all areas of labor and employment law.  If you have any other labor or employment matter involving your business, please either contact Oyvind Wistrom at owistrom@lindner-marsack.com or Sally Piefer at spiefer@lindner-marsack.com, or any other attorney you may work with at the firm.