At Pearlman, Brown & Wax, LLP, our COVID-19 employment defense lawyers in California understand each legal precedent and professional nuance contained in our existing and newly constructed state and federal employment laws that impact our client's ability to operate their businesses on the right side of history. One of the new pieces of federal legislation that helped change the employment landscape for all employers included the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). FFCRA allowed employees to request the necessary paid and unpaid time off — without penalty or retaliation — to ensure the employee's health and that of their family was prioritize during the pandemic. Companies were required to comply with the Act through December 31, 2020. The Act empowered employees to allege that their employers were either not providing leave outlined therein, or were retaliated against for requesting FFCRA leave, spurring countless lawsuits throughout the country. Employers who voluntarily choose to continue providing paid leave any time from January 2021 up to the extended deadline of September 2021 will receive a tax credit from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. If your organization has extended FFCRA leave for your employees, the latest revision of the Act requires employers to follow stringent obligations to avoid violating their employees' rights, which may jeopardize your COVID-19 defense if you are not following each statute carefully. Keep in mind, even if your organization did not extend your FFCRA leave or credit beyond December 31, 2020, employees have up to two years from the time the protection lapsed to pursue a lawsuit against the company for any perceived wrongdoing during that time. If you have questions about your involvement in FFCRA, contact our COVID-19 employment lawyers today to help protect your organization by proactively educating and advising your stakeholders while aggressively defending and litigating your unique case inside and outside the courtroom.