FFCRA Extension Voluntary for School Districts
On December 27, President Trump signed into law the newest COVID-19 relief legislation. Under the CARES Act, signed into law in March, 2020, educators were allowed FFCRA paid leave for six COVID-19 qualifying reasons through December 31, 2020.
Under the most recent legislation, FFCRA paid leave protection is now voluntary for employers. Therefore, it is up to the individual school boards whether or not these paid leave protections will be extended through March 31, 2021.
Vaccinations
There has been much discussion regarding vaccinations for teachers in Pennsylvania. According to the PA Department of Health, first in line to get vaccinated are health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities (considered Phase 1A).
Next in line are those in Phase 1B, which are first responders and critical personnel. These include educators and school staff working directly with students.
KEYTA staff has also received inquiries asking if vaccinations will be mandatory for school personnel. Recent guidance offered by the EEOC states that unless there’s a federal civil rights issue in play, local governments and private businesses are free to request and use vaccination status if they choose. However, there is the potential for legal challenges, as this specific vaccination situation has yet to occur, and this guidance may change once the courts have had an opportunity to address these legal challenges in the months to come.
Teachers Can Apply PPE Cost to Tax Deductions
The newly signed coronavirus economic relief package allows educators to apply the cost of the PPE or other supplies used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their classrooms toward their existing $250 educator expense deduction on their federal taxes.
This deduction is retroactive to March 12, 2020.
As always, please contact KEYTA at 717-763-1168 or at info@keyta.org for any questions or clarifications you may need regarding COVID-19 or other matters.
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