The New York and federal governments have passed, in record time, legislation that significantly affects the employer-employee relationship. The federal government passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), which includes the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, and will go into effect on April 1, 2020. New York also recently passed paid sick leave legislation that is already in effect. Through this legislation, the federal and state governments seek to mitigate the disastrous effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have put together an informal guide that employers may use to navigate the intricacies and overlap of these new laws. However, this is not legal advice, and employers should consult a member of Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP’s employment team to develop or revise their response plans, (response plans explained in greater detail here, MHH March Alert: A Company's Best Responses To COVID-19) based on these new laws.