Spaulding - can you post the memo (or a link) to the City of Austin memo you referenced regarding construction?
In a somewhat similar situation in Houston - we have a small structural steel fab shop, and although the "Work-Home-Stay-Safe" order that was issued by Lina Hidalgo specifically defines commercial (and even residential) construction as an essential business, her definition seems broader than what's found in the CISA guidelines. Could easily see her following Austin's lead and issuing a memo directing most construction to shut down. We make a lot of wastewater treatment components, so that may allow us to continue operations, even if on a limited basis.
Has anyone parsed through the language of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that passed on 3/20/20, and how it will impact your paid leave policies? My understanding is that it amends the FMLA to require: 1) up to 12 weeks of unpaid and paid leave for certain employees unable to work in order to care for a child, and 2) up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave related to certain specified coronavirus events.
Moreover, it looks like these provisions may apply to all employers with less than 500 employees, even though the FMLA itself under normal circumstances doesn't apply to employers with less than 50 employees. It now seems like employers with less than 50 employees can seek an exemption from the Sec of Labor, but the process for that is murky.
We have fewer than 50 employees, and are going to implement a policy to continue paying them in the event we get shut down (or if they or a family member get sick), but there are procedural concerns regarding how to do that without running afoul of the new legislation. And that's not even taking into account the language of any provisions that might be included in what passed last night.