On May 12, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing titled, “COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School.” The hearing allowed the committee and four public health experts to discuss risks and best practices moving forward for reopening workplaces and schools as states begin to reopen their economies after COVID-19 closures and lockdowns.
On May 12, the Internal Revenue Service released two notices providing temporary increased flexibility for Section 125 Cafeteria Plans, health plans that allow workers to choose from a variety of benefits on a pre-tax basis.
The fall semester remains a big question mark in the minds of those associated with higher ed institutions. However, one thing is clear — enrollment will take a dip. That being said, tough employment decisions must be made, and HR must be prepared to explain and recommend a combination of furloughs, layoffs and salary freezes and reductions to decision makers.
On May 6, the U.S. Small Businesses Administration released an interim final rule (IFR) to supplement previously issued IFRs implementing the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program. The new IFR provides guidance tailored for institutions of higher education, such as additional eligibility requirements with respect to student workers and nondiscrimination obligations.
CUPA-HR Vice President and Chief Learning Officer Sissy Meredith is back again with Ira Shepard, CUPA-HR’s general counsel and of counsel at Saul Ewing Arnstein and Lehr, this time with a focus on health and safety considerations for returning to campus, including developing or updating policies and protocols for personal protective equipment, temperature checks, employee privacy, and more.
The Department of Labor, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of the Treasury issued guidance materials for employers and employees to help them better understand how financial assistance resources created in response to the coronavirus public health emergency will be impacted by employee rejection of reemployment opportunities offered by the employer.
CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley catches up with Sheraine Gilliam-Holmes, executive director and chief human resources officer at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee. Sheraine shares how the HR team collaborated with colleagues across the university to create programming that engages APSU parents working remotely to acknowledge the challenges of working from home with children and to help them feel connected. Programs have included “Little PEAYple Toddler Time,” “STEM Fun with APSU’s Mad Scientist” for school-aged children, an APSU Parent Survivor Series, and more.