
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, on March 18th, 2020, President Trump passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201 (Act). This Act:
- Provides paid sick leave and free COVID-19 testing.
- Expands food assistance and unemployment benefits.
- Requires employers to provide additional protections for healthcare workers.
In addition, the Act mandates that all Government entities and employers with less than 500 workers:
- Provide 80 hours of paid sick leave to all covered employees.
- Provide up to 10 weeks of paid family leave for employees (who have worked for the company for at least one month) affected by COVID-19.
Concerning taxes, this act also included a series of tax credits to employers and self-employed individuals to help cover lost income due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For more information, please visit https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus.
NEBRASKA UNEMPLOYMENT UPDATES
Governor Ricketts issued an executive order for an emergency unemployment insurance benefit relief related to the coronavirus (COVID-19).
High level overview:
- Changes will start March 22nd.
- The state of Nebraska will suspend the one-week waiting period required to receive unemployment benefits.
- The state of Nebraska will waive the requirement that the claimant is actively looking for work.
- The state of Nebraska will not “charge” the employer’s unemployment account for the unemployment benefits paid.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Nebraska Workforce Development + frequently asked questions: https://www.dol.nebraska.gov/UIBenefits/Resources/FAQ
- Nebraska Workforce Development + Set up an employee user account: https://neworks.nebraska.gov/vosnet/loginintro.aspx (Go to Option 3 and create a User ID)
- Short-Time Compensation - https://dol.nebraska.gov/stc
Employers can monitor https://www.dol.nebraska.gov/PressRelease to determine if updates or written guidance has been added. Please contact us if you have any questions.
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