October Lunch and Learn
The Laurentian Chamber of Commerce held our inaugural Lunch N Learn of 2020 today at the Sawmill Saloon & Restaurant. We were excited to have Justin Terch, a human resources expert and principle at Terch & Associates, talk about the federal COVID rules for paid employee leave. This issue is especially relevant locally now that the Rock Ridge School district has gone to a hybrid schedule. We can’t summarize the entire presentation, but here are some key takeaways:
- Employers need to properly document the reason they either grant or deny the federally reimbursable paid leave.
- This applies to almost all employers with less than 500 employees.
- Employees can receive up to 12 weeks of paid leave under these laws.
- This applies to both exempt and non-exempt workers.
- There are exemptions for employers whose employees provide direct patient care like nurses and lab technicians, but these exemptions are narrow.
- Unless an employer really understands this issue, it probably make sense to talk to an expert on this issue.
The event ended with a good question and answer session. There were a lot of questions about exactly when an employee qualifies for paid leave, how employers have to record that leave and if the leave has to be consecutive or if it can be intermittent.
Justin has graciously offered all our Laurentian Chamber members a free HR consultation. You can reach out to him at Justin@terchandassociates.com or 218-213-7162. Thank you to the Sawmill Saloon & Restaurant for donating the space for today’s session. Thank you to all who attended, and please watch for additional lunch and learn sessions as we move forward.
Justin Terch from Terch & Associates presents at our October Lunch N Learn