Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a poster March 26 that the agency says will fulfill employers’ notice requirements under the emergency leave law passed in response to the new coronavirus pandemic.

• The statute requires covered employers to post a notice of Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requirements in a conspicuous place on their premises.

• DOL at the same time issued additional implementation guidance, including a fact sheet for employers and a Q&A document and added that additional guidance is forthcoming.

Dive Insight:

The poster comes just days after President Donald Trump signed the FFCRA, scheduled to take effect April 1. DOL does not appear to have set a separate deadline for posting the notice, so "it would stand to reason that there is no requirement to post it before April 1," Fisher Phillips attorneys wrote in a blog post; in fact, they recommended employers wait until March 31 to download the poster, in case DOL makes updates.

Because many employees are working remotely, it’s also important to note that DOL said in a Q&A document that "[a]n employer may satisfy this requirement by emailing or direct mailing this notice to employees, or posting this notice on an employee information internal or external website."

For those still reporting to a worksite, the notice must be posted there, DOL said. Furthermore, even if a state or locality provides greater protections than the FFCRA, employers subject to the law still must give notice of its requirements, the agency noted.