As the new school year commences, employers have already seen an increase in requests for time off under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). For some, the allowed 12 weeks of emergency family leave was already used at the end of the 2019/2020 school year. As classes now begin for the 2020/2021 school year and the COVID pandemic is still at the forefront of our lives, most states have opted to do distance learning at least for the next few months.
A recent SHRM article, New School Year Raises FFCRA Questions, expounded on the direct effects on employees and employers as they try to balance the employee’s child care challenges and the workforce needs of the organization. The authors encouraged employers to think outside the box to create scenarios that will benefit both parties. One example is possibly having employees work from home on a split shift system. Another idea is for employees to set blocks of hours when they are available, scheduled around their children’s learning hours.
SHRM issued one huge reminder for employers: they must create a policy that will apply to all employees. An employee’s agreed work hours may be based on the individual needs, but the option must be open to everyone. Once a company starts making accommodations for some and not for all, the risk of litigation issues will undoubtedly be on the rise.