COVID-19

TELEWORK POLICIES AND PREPAREDNESS PLANS

We are all struggling through the implications created by the current coronavirus pandemic. Like so many others, it took a while for our families to settle into a new and very different routine, including working from home and managing children learning from home. Seiler Law and Kristin knew the best way to confront the situation was to try and help others, but struggled with how to do so. It did not take long to come up with an answer as calls came in daily to learn about regulatory, legal and practical concerns from clients who had their staffs working from home. This need resulted in the firm’s creation of custom and “off the rack” COVID-19 Teleworking Policies and Procedures, which outline the rules for employees working from home. Some weeks later, as work-places began to reopen, we were called upon to draft Work Place Preparedness Plans that bridged the employer’s need to have workers in the office with keeping their employees safe, all while complying with rapidly changing executive, legislative and regulatory orders. The applicable regulations are complex and vary by regulatory agency (WHO, CDC, MN Department of Health, MN Governor Executive Orders, and Municipal Orders). It is important that the lawyers know their client’s operation inside/out, and we make a point of assuring that our clients comply with the laws while meeting their own particular business focused needs.

Many of the work-place changes were overshadowed by government subsidy programs (PPP EID and MN DEED) which seemed simple enough at first, but have since been the topic of sometimes impractical agency (SBA and Treasury) interpretation, pundit misinformation and, most recently well-meaning (but perhaps poorly implemented) Congressional amendment. We have worked tirelessly to keep current and have guided clients through subsidy and loan process, analysis, planning and filing, and will continue to do so throughout the course of the pandemic. To this end, we provide the following services:

• Telework Policies and Agreements
• Return to Work Preparedness Plans
• PPP Consultation
• EIDL Consultation
• MN DEED Consultation
• New Sick and Medical Leave Requirements (FFCRA & FMLA)