Guidance for Florida Employers in Response to COVID-19

Given the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers must accomodate their workforce by permitting employees to telecommute or work-from-home. If an employer is an essential business and cannot operate its business through telecommuting or working-from-home arrangements, however, the employer may be forced to consider reducing staff to the minimal number necessary to ensure that essential operations can continue.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, below are some federal and Florida specific guidelines to assist employers in navigating this unprecedented societal terrain.

I. FAMILIES FIRST CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT.
On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), which will go into effect on April 2, 2020. The FFCRA includes: 1) the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act; and 2) the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act.

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