CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: Addressing Employee Benefits as Affected by COVID-19

Specializing in employment law and employee rights, the Law Firm of Lebau & Neuworth is specifically qualified to address Employee Benefits and the manner in which they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, Lebau & Neuworth has spent weeks and months poring over the vital subject and has recently released a presentation addressed "COVID 19 AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS."

Partner Richard Neuworth delivered an extensive powerpoint presentation for the Maryland State Bar Association on September 30, 2020, covering federal and state laws affecting employee benefits due to COVID 19. The program was broadcast and will appear on the Maryland State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section. The topics covered included the CARES Act, Affordable Care Act, regulatory changes to COBRA and ERISA disability benefit and health insurance appeals. The state issues covered included the Maryland Mini Warn Act, the Maryland Healthy Workers Act of 2018 and Maryland Pandemic Unemployment Insurance.

Among the topics Lebau & Neuworth address in their study is "Covid 19 and Its Unprecedented Changes: Employer/Employee Relationships at The State and Federal Levels." The firm answers many key points related to this specific topic, including State of Maryland public benefits available to employees affected by COVID 19:

• Unemployment benefits;
• Sick leave benefits;
• Worker layoff benefits depending on how many employees are laid off beginning on October 1, 2020; and
• Unemployment benefits offered through the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

Importantly, the presentation targets many issues to consider concerning employee beneftis and the pandemic, including:

• How do severance benefits affect the enhanced unemployment benefits in the State of Maryland?
• How does collecting Social Security benefits effect the enhanced unemployment benefits in the State of Maryland?

Lebau & Neuworth further explain the Maryland’s Mini WARN Act statute mandatory notice of certain plant and office closings and offices being moved to other locations, including features such as:

• Act goes into effect on October 1, 2020;
• Act is enforced by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; and
• No private cause of action may be brought by an employee, unlike the federal WARN statute.

And the law firm also address how the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act can be leveraged during the pandemic, addressing related topics including:

• Complaint must be filed with DLLR, and
• Applies to all employees in Maryland, including those working for state and local governments.

The exhaustive study preformed by Lebau & Neuworth covers a vast number of additional topics that are important to any employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and, as a result, require assitance with employee benefits. If you have been affected, contact Lebau & Neuworth immediately for a no-cost inital consulation at (410) 296-3030 or lebauneuworth.com/contact-us.