Since the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) in March 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued—and added to—a lengthy series of questions and answers (Q&As) about employee leave under the Act.

Leave Under the FFCRA

The FFCRA requires employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide 12 weeks of FMLA leave for childcare reasons related to COVID-19. The new FMLA leave must be compensated after the first 10 days (80 hours), at two-thirds of an employee’s wage, up to $200 per day.

The FFCRA also requires employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide 80 hours of paid sick time for specified reasons related to COVID-19.

The DOL Q&As

The DOL Q&As provide detailed guidance to employers and employees on issues like eligibility for and administration of leave under the Act. The Q&As are grouped in topic areas, including:

• Definitions
• Eligibility
• Coverage
• Application
•  Enforcement
• Return to School

Action Steps

Employers subject to the FFCRA should review the DOL Q&As. Read More

Hand hygiene is an important response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands with soap and water. If those aren’t available, using a hand sanitizer can help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs.

Americans are having a hard time tracking hand sanitizer down; however, the CDC doesn’t recommend that people make their own product, as there’s a chance it could be ineffective or cause skin burns.

You may be tempted to buy whatever bottle you can get your hands on, but not all sanitizers are created equal. As an additional 1,500 companies are now making hand sanitizer, it’s important to know what to look for and be cautious about. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled several hand sanitizers due to the potential presence of methanol, which is toxic when absorbed through skin or ingested. And as alcohol distillers have responded to the shortage by manufacturing sanitizer, be careful. There have been many reports of people drinking the product since it smells like drinking alcohol and is contained in beverage bottles.

When you’re browsing the store shelves or searching online, pay attention to product labels for the following signs of an effective hand sanitizer:

• • Most importantly, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. If possible, clean your hands first, as alcohol-based sanitizers are most effective on hands that are not visibly dirty or greasy. Even rinsing hands with water first will help the sanitizer do its job.
• • Check the ingredient list for denatured alcohol, which tastes terrible compared to drinking alcohol. The taste is used to help deter unintentional or intentional ingestion. The most common calls to poison control are related to unintentional exposures in children 5 years old and younger.
• • Likewise, choose fragrance-free or unscented because fragrances may be used to cover the chemical smell.

Try to steer clear of hand sanitizers that claim to help prevent COVID-19, as that hasn’t been proven yet.

When you’ve found a hand sanitizer that meets those standards, apply a dime-sized amount to dry, clean hands and rub your hands together until completely dry again. Read more

Prostate cancer is the one of most common type of cancer in American men. Prostate cancer develops from the cells of the prostate gland. Its most common form, occurring in almost 99% of cases, is called prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Many men also develop a condition known as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), which is a change in the microscopic appearance of prostate epithelial cells. PIN should be monitored on a yearly basis because it may lead to the development of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer grows relatively slowly, but can eventually spread to other parts of the body.

Risk Factors

All men should be aware of risk factors for developing prostate cancer. While the exact cause of the disease is unknown, research has identified various factors that contribute to a person’s likelihood of developing prostate cancer.

• • Age—The risk increases after age 50.
• • Race—African-American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men.
• • Genetics—The chance of getting the disease is more than doubled if a close relative had prostate cancer.
• • Being obese or overweight

Signs and Symptoms

Like most other forms of cancer, early detection of prostate cancer is the key to saving lives. There are

often few symptoms in the early stages. The following are some possible early warning signs of the disease:

• • Slowing or weakening of the urinary stream
• • The need to urinate more often
• • When the cancer becomes more advanced, symptoms become more prevalent. Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include:
• • Blood in the urine
• • Impotence
• • Pain in the pelvis, spine, hips or ribs

Survival Rate

Survival rates depend on the treatment performed and whether or not the cancer has spread. The survival rate for men whose cancer has not spread beyond the prostate is almost 100%. Almost 100% of all men with prostate cancer survive at least five years, and 98% survive at least 10 years. Read More

On Aug. 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published four new opinion letters. Opinion letters provide the DOL’s official position on how labor and employment standards, in this case the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), apply in specific situations.

Retail Exemption for Truck Drivers

FLSA2020-11 patterns the analysis employers must use to determine whether truck drivers working for a retail establishment qualify for the “retail or service establishment exemption.” While the facts are specific to the gas and oil industry, the underlying principles have greater applicability.

Use of Personal Vehicle for Business

FLSA2020-12 addresses whether to reimburse nonexempt hourly employees who use their vehicle to further their employer’s business for expenses related to their vehicle, including: gas, oil, routine maintenance and repairs, fixed vehicle expenses, registration fees, license fees and insurance costs not required by the employer.

Exemptions for Part-time Employees

FLSA2020-13 addresses how the learned professional exemption and the highly compensated employee test apply to part-time employees who provide training for a day rate with additional hourly compensation.

Fluctuating Workweek Clarification

FLSA 2020-14 clarifies that the fluctuating work week overtime calculation method does not apply only to employees whose hours of work fluctuate above and below the 40-hour workweek threshold. This means that employers can use the fluctuating workweek method for employees whose hours of work fluctuate only above 40 hours per workweek. Read More