Volume 31 I Tuesday, September 1, 2020 |
|
DOL Releases New Back-to-School FFCRA Guidance |
|
Ever since it became clear that not all schools would be fully reopening for the new school year, employers and employees alike have been wondering how the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) would apply in the variety of new schooling scenarios.
Recently, the Department of Labor released several new Questions and Answers that address those issues, quoted below:
Q: My child’s school is operating on an alternate day (or other hybrid-attendance) basis. The school is open each day, but students alternate between days attending school in person and days participating in remote learning. They are permitted to attend school only on their allotted in-person attendance days. May I take paid leave under the FFCRA in these circumstances?
A: Yes, you are eligible to take paid leave under the FFCRA on days when your child is not permitted to attend school in person and must instead engage in remote learning, as long as you need the leave to actually care for your child during that time and only if no other suitable person is available to do so. For purposes of the FFCRA and its implementing regulations, the school is effectively “closed” to your child on days that he or she cannot attend in person. You may take paid leave under the FFCRA on each of your child’s remote-learning days.
Q: My child’s school is giving me a choice between having my child attend in person or participate in a remote learning program for the fall. I signed up for the remote learning alternative because, for example, I worry that my child might contract COVID-19 and bring it home to the family. Since my child will be at home, may I take paid leave under the FFCRA in these circumstances?
A: No, you are not eligible to take paid leave under the FFCRA because your child’s school is not “closed” due to COVID-19 related reasons; it is open for your child to attend. FFCRA leave is not available to take care of a child whose school is open for in-person attendance. If your child is home not because his or her school is closed, but because you have chosen for the child to remain home, you are not entitled to FFCRA paid leave. However, if, because of COVID-19, your child is under a quarantine order or has been advised by a health care provider to self-isolate or self-quarantine, you may be eligible to take paid leave to care for him or her. See FAQ 63.
|
|
Also, as explained more fully in FAQ 98, if your child’s school is operating on an alternate day (or other hybrid-attendance) basis, you may be eligible to take paid leave under the FFCRA on each of your child’s remote-learning days because the school is effectively “closed” to your child on those days.
Q: My child’s school is beginning the school year under a remote learning program out of concern for COVID-19, but has announced it will continue to evaluate local circumstances and make a decision about reopening for in-person attendance later in the school year. May I take paid leave under the FFCRA in these circumstances?
A: Yes, you are eligible to take paid leave under the FFCRA while your child’s school remains closed. If your child's school reopens, the availability of paid leave under the FFCRA will depend on the particulars of the school’s operations.
Providing Non-FFCRA Leave and Flexibility
Although employees aren’t entitled to FFCRA leave if their child’s school is technically open and they choose remote learning, we encourage employers to work with employees who have chosen to keep kids home (as in Question 99), working out a flexible or reduced schedule as needed. If an employee has chosen to have their children attend school online only, it is likely because they feel the school is not safe or the risk of the child bringing the virus home and infecting a more vulnerable person is too high. If required to choose between working and keeping their family safe, many parents will choose safety, thus leaving their employer with a position to fill.
Given the cost of replacing an employee (generally from 20 to 200 percent of their yearly salary), working out a flexible or reduced schedule with employees in this situation is likely the best choice for the company’s bottom line as well as its reputation.
Source: ThinkHR
|
|
Printing Going Forward
COVID-19 has pushed our industry much more rapidly along several trends which have been building for some time. The packaging segment growth has accelerated its growth while, publication printing has been permanently reduced, direct mail is impacted but has some possibility of a comeback with more focused audiences and dependent on the survival of the USPS, entertainment and event printing is severely impacted, while general commercial printing will continue but not all of the players will be around.
This is the time when you need to think about the skill set that you and your company are bringing to the market. No one buys print just to have it. They buy it to achieve more sales of what they’re now doing. They buy it to introduce the latest and greatest that they plan to bring to market. This reality should enable to decide whether you and your company are good at understanding your customer’s plans and using print to further them or whether you are better at manufacturing print—putting the ink on the paper.
If you conclude that helping the customer achieve their goals by the creative use of print—think about become a broker and leave the manufacturing to others. If getting the work out on time and right is your forte, then concentrate on that and become a trade printer who is centered on protecting the interest of your broker clients.
Your successful survival will be determined on doing what you do best, not on doing everything.
|
|
What Can Sales Leaders & Professionals Do To Survive This Disruption?
Several executives suggested we must learn how to excel at the remote sale. Think about how to turn everything virtual. For example, so many companies do corporate tours where they show their facilities and capabilities. Move that entirely online, so someone could be sitting at home and have that same experience. We should quickly be building those assets. Turn everything virtual, with an emphasis on video.
One sales leader has directed his sales force to divert all attention to existing accounts and stop pursuit of new logos. He acknowledges the strategy may be right or wrong, but he’s betting that one of the key elements that causes companies to choose one company over another is trust. And it's going to be hard to establish trust during this time with somebody you don't know. They’re putting their energy where they have existing high-trust relationships.
There’s one skill we always need to work on, and it’s become even more critical: listening. Converse with customers rather than relying on a slide deck. One leader said, “I'm always against PowerPoints because it just says you're lecturing, but you really don't know if the client is focused on a PowerPoint over the phone. If you're situationally conversing, you're at least understanding if they’re distracted or you’re having a solid interaction and engagement.”
Another suggested that we be more efficient with meeting time. Virtual meetings often start late and have a hard stop, so be prepared. Plan out your calls as structured conversations, with thoughtful research and prepared questions. Use a conversation planner. Don’t wing it. To avoid disengagement, state upfront that you’ll be asking questions and listening for much of the discussion.
Take advantage of the new platform skills. Check the background of your physical space. Have you assessed the image you’re projecting onscreen? Do you have the correct technology for streaming clear video and sound? How are you dressing for your video calls? When and how do you use screen sharing or other tools?
Challenge to leaders: Turn this crisis into opportunity. Think about new ways to connect with your current clients to help them solve their problems. Do more listening than talking and get your people the help they need to do their jobs more efficiently.
-
Generally, salespeople are used to being independent, working from home, and conducting business over the phone or video. But many of our customers aren’t as used to this mode, and they’re being disrupted, too.
- Some leaders perceive this challenge as a leap forward into a new operating rhythm, a different way of interacting with clients. Others expect a swift return to face time once the danger has passed.
|
|
|
ICYMI: We Have A COVID-19 Resource Channel |
|
PRINTING United Alliance, the PIA San Diego, and NAPCO Media are committed to providing the printing and visual communications industries with the most up-to-date resources on the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The staff is here to help you as we all weather this storm together. |
|
In these unprecedented and uncertain times, PIA San Diego is committed to providing the printing and graphic arts community with the most up-to-date resources on the ongoing COVID-19 situation. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
