Here is a link to a recording of the second edition of Employmen... moreHere is a link to a recording of the second edition of Employment Law Zoom Office Hours, held on March 31, 2020: https://vimeo.com/sogitd/review/402634185/2991151fed
I have also updated two of my blog posts addressing employment issues raised by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
I have updated my original blog post, How the Paid Sick Leave Provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Affect Government Employers, to:
include the definition of emergency responders provided by U.S. Department of Labor guidance;
correct the discussion of the social security tax exemption to reflect that the exemption applies only to the employer contribution to the social security portion of FICA;
update the discussion of FEMA reimbursement to reflect that protective measures eligible for FEMA reimbursement include force account overtime costs.
I have also updated my blog post Which Tax and Retirement Deductions Must Be Taken from FFCRA Emergency Paid Leave? to correct the discussion of the social s... less
Hi all – The Governor’s EO 124, issued March 31, 202... moreHi all – The Governor’s EO 124, issued March 31, 2020, prohibits all end-user providers of residential electric, natural gas, water, and wastewater utilities services, including local government-owned and operated utilities, from disconnecting utility services to residential customers for the next 60 days. Utility providers are encouraged, but not required, to reconnect previously disconnected service to the extent practical. The EO further prohibits these utility providers, effective immediately, from billing or collecting any fee, charge, penalty, or interest for a late or otherwise untimely payment that becomes due from the date of the EO (March 31, 2020). Utility providers must give customers the opportunity to make reasonable payments to pay off their balances over at least a 6-month period. A utility provider must “reasonably inform customers of the applicable provisions” in the EO and maintain reasonable records of such notifications. According to the EO, the Governor is taking th... less
Does anyone (particularly Munis users) have a summary of their p... moreDoes anyone (particularly Munis users) have a summary of their pay and accrual codes setup to handle the new requirements of the FFCRA?
i have not seen any. i am still also no longer receiving email n... morei have not seen any. i am still also no longer receiving email notifications of posts. i am just checking the site daily for new posts.
Good Morning, I am reaching out to see what services other ... moreGood Morning, I am reaching out to see what services other municipalities currently use for e-signing. Does anyone use Docusign and if so, would you be willing to share your feedback on the service? If you use another service, I would also apprecaite feedback on that service as well!
Thank you, Kathy LopezPurchasing AgentTown of Leland
Has their been any further information released on why some indi... moreHas their been any further information released on why some individuals are no longer receiving email notifications of NC Finance Connect listserv posts?
I have posted a link to a blogpost on Death and Taxes related to... moreI have posted a link to a blogpost on Death and Taxes related to the GASB's announcement that they are considering potentially delaying the implementation of several standards. This, of course, is in response the Covid-19 pandemic.
https://deathandtaxes.sog.unc.edu/gasb-considers-delayed-implementation-of-several-significant-standards/
This is the order of topics we will follow during tomorrow&rsquo... moreThis is the order of topics we will follow during tomorrow’s (Tuesday’s) Zoom Office Hours. If you missed my previous notice, it is set forth at the bottom of this e-mail.
So as not to drive Bob Joyce insane – he will be sorting the questions and asking them – please do not type your question in the chat box until we instruct you to!
Here goes:
Exclusion of health care providers and emergency responders from paid leave provisions of the FFCRA (app. 15 minutes)
Social security tax exemption for FFCRA payments, other deductions from FFCRA payments, treatment of supplemental payments for social security tax exemption purposes (app. 15 min.)
Relationship of FFCRA leave to employer-provided sick, vacation and personal leave and to regular FMLA (app. 10 minutes)
Whether intermittent leave must be allowed (app. 10 minutes)
Notices, forms, documentation (app. 10 minutes)Whether FFCRA leave may be used by employees for whom there is no work (app. 10 minutes)
Furloughs more generally (app. 15 minu... less
Casey,While not a payment plan template, here are two blog posts... moreCasey,While not a payment plan template, here are two blog posts that deal with administering payment plans:What are your repayment plan policies?How do you handle payment plans…?Thanks,Gary
We would be interested in this as well if anyone has a template ... moreWe would be interested in this as well if anyone has a template or other information.
We plan to implement utility payment plans for the first time du... moreWe plan to implement utility payment plans for the first time due to Covid-19. Does anyone have a template, form, or language they are already using for payment plans? Thank you!
I have written a blog post on tax and retirement deductions from... moreI have written a blog post on tax and retirement deductions from emergency FMLA payments and emergency paid sick leave payments under the FFCRA. It includes a frequently asked questions section. I hope this goes some way toward answering many of the questions you all have asked about this issue.
Tax and Retirement Deductions from FFCRA Emergency Paid Leave
Diane
Diane M. Juffras Professor of Public Law and Government School of Government UNC-Chapel Hill 919.843.4926
Zoom Call on Local Government Emergency Loans for Small Business... moreZoom Call on Local Government Emergency Loans for Small Businesses and Preparing Your Local Government to Apply for Federal/State/Private Grants Please join us for the next in a series of zoom calls on local government finance issues during COVID-19. This week we will focus on two issues. The first is local government authority to provide small business emergency loans. The economic toll of COVID-19 is becoming clearer, and small businesses are turning to local governments for help. We’ll discuss practice tips for legal and effective small business loan programs, and we’ll hear how a county and a nonprofit financial institution are collaborating to provide emergency loans to small businesses. The second is guidance on how best to prepare your local government to apply for federal/state/private grants to help address pandemic issues. As you wait on the details of the new federal and state grant programs, there are steps you can take now to maximize your chances of writing a successful grant proposal. ... less
Okay, folks, we have an official answer to the question of who i... moreOkay, folks, we have an official answer to the question of who is an emergency responder for the purposes of exclusion from the emergency FMLA provisions and the emergency paid sick leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
The U.S. Dep’t of Labor defined the term broadly in its Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Questions and Answers. Apparently, DOL is adding new questions and answers daily, so this is a resource that all of us will want to check regularly.
The definition is, as I said, broad and it includes not only those we typically refer to as “first responders” – law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel, but also 911 dispatchers, all public health personnel, all emergency management personnel, detention officers, all public works personnel and anyone else that the Governor determines is an essential emergency responder. I’d been doing some research on the use of the term “emergency responders” in other fe... less
Folks,
I will be holding a second set of Zoom Office Hours on Tu... moreFolks,
I will be holding a second set of Zoom Office Hours on Tuesday morning, March 31 from 10 a.m. – noon. We will be using our new Zoom license that allows for up to 500 participants so no one should be left out of the call this time.
This session will also be limited to COVID-19 employment issues. I am going to make an order of topics and will post it on the listservs on Monday evening, announce it at the beginning of the session and will type it into the top of the chat box. Then we’ll ask you to submit questions on topic 1 and only on topic 1 and when we’re done with that, we’ll ask for questions on topic 2, etc. We’ve got it set up so that Bob can sort through and consolidate the questions on each topic while I’m talking. I’m hoping that this will make our time together more efficient and will allow everyone to get their questions answered.
Feel free to e-mail me questions before Tuesday, but please use a subject line that references “Office Hours” or ... less
Today the League released its annual Reve... moreGood Afternoon,
Today the League released its annual Revenue Projections Memo detailing next year’s forecasts for all of the major state-collected municipal revenues -- including sales taxes, electricity and natural gas sales taxes, Powell Bill, and more. Considering the rapidly changing circumstances of the current pandemic, we have done our best to summarize the available information out there. We anticipate that this year's projections will be an ongoing conversation, and we will continue to provide updates as information becomes available. Let us know how we can best assist you during this chaotic budget season.This year’s memo is again supplemented by an interactive online format of all the data and graphs discussed in the memo. Both of these items, as well as our Basis of Tax Distribution memo and the annual Sales Tax Calculator file, can all be found on the League's website.
If you have any question, please don’t hesitate to email me (csaunders@nclm.org) or NCLM Director of Resear... less
Kara,Any guidance on LG electric utilities? We are a whole... moreKara,Any guidance on LG electric utilities? We are a wholesale customer of Duke Energy and member of Electricities.Thanks,Roxanne StilesTown of Forest City
Mills River is not aggressively pursuing collections for the tim... moreMills River is not aggressively pursuing collections for the time-being. Except for the parcels already with the bankruptcy attorney. We did publish the delinquencoies though.
Good Morning Everyone!We would normally begin garnishments for p... moreGood Morning Everyone!We would normally begin garnishments for past due property tax next week, and would love to know if anyone else is wrestling with deciding to postpone??Thanks!Jessie
