PRACTICE AREAS

COVID-19 Resources

1. US Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division: Provides fact sheets, Q&A, and other resources regarding the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
2. NC Department of Labor: Provides an overview of COVID-19, preventative measures to reduce risk of exposure, and regulations related to the risk of exposure in the workplace.
3. NC Department of Commerce – Division of Employment Security: Information on how to apply for unemployment benefits and additional recently enacted federal benefits.
4. NC Industrial Commission: Information on how COVID-19 has affected Workers’ Compensation claims, including administrative changes made to accommodate social distancing.
5. NC Department of Health and Human Services: Provides a general overview of COVID-19 and its health impact, including what can be done to reduce exposure in nearly every area of life. Also contains resources for balancing overall health during social distancing.



1. Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”)
2. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted the FFCRA, which requires certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave and/or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons released to COVID-19.
3. Employees of covered employers are eligible for:
4. Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay where the employee is unable to work because the employee is quarantined (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis; or
5. Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay because the employee is unable to work because of a bona fide need to care for an individual subject to quarantine (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), or to care for a child (under 18 years of age) whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19, and/or the employee is experiencing a substantially similar condition as specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Labor; and
6. Up to an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay where an employee, who has been employed for at least 30 calendar days, is unable to work due to a bona fide need for leave to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19
7. For more information, please see the FFCRA Employee Paid Leave Rights Fact Sheet located here, and the US Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division COVID-19 webpage, located here.
8. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES”)
9. Like the FFRCA, CARES was enacted by Congress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides a number of stimulus measures designed to help individuals and businesses, including:
10. funding for $1,200 tax rebates to individuals, with additional $500 payments per qualifying child. The rebate begins phasing out when incomes exceed $75,000 (or $150,000 for joint filers).
11. additional funding for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19;
12. limits liability for volunteer health care professionals;
13. prioritizes Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of certain drugs;
14. allows emergency use of certain diagnostic tests that are not approved by the FDA;
15. expands health-insurance coverage for diagnostic testing and requires coverage for preventative services and vaccines;
16. revises other provisions, including those regarding the medical supply chain, the national stockpile, the health care workforce, the Healthy Start program, telehealth services, nutrition services, Medicare, and Medicaid.
17. temporarily suspends payments for federal student loans; and
18. otherwise revises provisions related to campus-based aid, supplemental educational-opportunity grants, federal work-study, subsidized loans, Pell grants, and foreign institutions.
19. For more information, please visit Congress’ webpage detailing the legislation, located here.
20. How to Reduce Risk of Exposure in the Workplace
21. The NC Department of Labor has issued the following recommendations to help prevent the spread and risk of exposure of COVID-19 in the workplace:
22. Follow established work procedures for infection control.
23. Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
24. Avoid close contact with people that are sick.
25. Cover your mouth when you cough with a tissue or elbow, throw tissue in trash, do not reuse.
26. Clean and disinfect work areas frequently.
27. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
28. Employees who believe they are infected with COVID-19 are encouraged to self-quarantine at home to prevent infecting others.
29. Personal Protective Equipment. Employees in certain higher risk occupational settings are especially encouraged to use respirators that afford the level of protection of an N95 filtering facepiece respirator or better. Where respirator use is required, the employer must implement an effective respiratory protection program including, but not limited to, medical evaluation and fit testing. In addition, use and properly maintain all provided personal protective equipment for work-related tasks having exposure(s).
30. For more information, please visit the NC Department of Labor’s COVID-19 webpage, located here.

We will keep this page updated with new information as we receive it. We are all in this together. Please stay safe.