Families First Coronavirus Response Act As it stands right now, the FFCRA doesn’t go into effect until April 2, 2020 though it could be made effective sooner. The language of the actual Act is that it “shall take effect not later than 15 days after the enactment of the Act.” First step - FFCRA Emergency Paid Sick Leave If any employee is experiencing any of the following: Subject to a federal/state/local quarantine or isolation order relating to COVID-19;Advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns relating to COVID-19;Symptoms of COVID-19 and awaiting diagnosis;Caring for an individual subject or advised to quarantine or self-isolate; orCaring for his ... Continue Reading
DEF’s Albany office is remotely fully operational during shelter-in-place order
Friday afternoon, the Dougherty County Commission Chair Chris Cohilas and City of Albany Mayor Bo Dorough issued a shelter-in-place order in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. To comply with this order, our physical office in Albany is closed for non-essential matters but we are open and fully operational during this time. Our attorneys and professionals are equipped with the required technology to work remotely and remain ready and available to continue providing exceptional legal services. ... Continue Reading
COVID-19 Update: Liability Insurance
As we continue to see media reports of the spread of coronavirus illness, businesses could also face claims that they allegedly failed to exercise reasonable care in the handling of or warning against coronavirus exposure. Providers of transportation, hospitality services and retail establishments, and healthcare services may be impacted. General liability policies cover liability for bodily injury and property damage, and primary Commercial General Liability policies will usually provide a legal defense against certain covered claims. Insurers with a duty to defend may still be charged with such obligation if there is even a possibility of coverage for the underlying liability as ... Continue Reading
Georgia Employers Required to File Unemployment Claims for COVID-19 Shutdowns
In an effort to mitigate work slow-downs and stoppages resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, Governor Kemp and the Georgia Department of Labor have enacted an emergency rule providing unemployment benefits for workers affected by partial or complete work stoppages. This temporary rule requires Employers to proactively file for Unemployment Benefits online for all employees whose hours are reduced due to a partial of full shutdown as a result of the COVID-19 emergency. The emergency rule, which went into effect for claim weeks beginning March 15, 2020: Requires employers to file partial claims on the DOL website;“With respect to any week during which an employee works less than ... Continue Reading
FAQ’s About the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
On March 14, 2020, the United States House of Representatives passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). President Trump signed the bill into law on March 18, 2020. It will go into effect on April 2, 2020 (fifteen days from the date of the President’s signature), and will expire on December 31, 2020. As enacted, the FFCRA applies only to private employers with 500 or fewer employees. All public agencies with at least one employee are covered. As you are likely already aware, the topic of providing paid leave for employees has been a subject of great debate for many years. To offset the cost to employers of providing the paid leave provided by the FFCRA, employers will be ... Continue Reading
COVID-19: Legal Services to Continue Despite Physical Office Closings
In order to decrease the spread of COVID-19, and in compliance with the CDC's recommendations to implement the use of social distancing strategies, Drew Eckl & Farnham has made the decision to close all of our Atlanta office starting on March 17. Despite the closing of our physical offices, we will continue providing our clients with exceptional legal services. In order to decrease the spread of COVID-19, and in compliance with the CDC's recommendations to implement the use of social distancing strategies, Drew Eckl & Farnham has made the decision to close all of our Atlanta offices starting on March 17. This decision was made for the health of our staff and the public and will ... Continue Reading
COVID-19: An Update on Our Preparations
As a valued client of Drew Eckl & Farnham, we appreciate the trust you place in us to provide quality legal services. We understand the need for our firm to provide continuous and uninterrupted legal services, and want to take this opportunity to update you on the proactive steps we’re taking to be prepared for the evolving situation with COVID-19 (the coronavirus). We take business continuity seriously and have been preparing for this situation. We have updated our business continuity plans to address infectious disease scenarios and have identified the team in Atlanta to coordinate our response, with a redundant command center prepared in Albany, GA. Our Emergency Response ... Continue Reading