What are essential workers during the coronavirus disease emergency in Massachusetts?

What are essential workers during the coronavirus disease emergency in Massachusetts?

See full answerWorkers managing waste from pharmaceuticals and medical material production, and workers at laboratories processing tests Workers who support hazardous materials response and cleanup. Workers who maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting hazardous materials management operations. Financial Services.Workers who are needed to provide, process and maintain systems for processing, verification, and recording of financial transactions and services, including payment, clearing, and settlement; wholesale funding; insurance services; consumer and commercial lending; and capital markets activities).Workers who are needed to maintain orderly market operations to ensure the continuity of financial transactions and services. Workers who are needed to provide business, commercial, and consumer access to bank and non-bank financial services and lending services, including ATMs, lending and money transmission.

Who can apply for paid sick leave during the coronavirus disease pandemic in Massachusetts?

Most employees in Massachusetts have the right to earn and use up to 40 hours of job-protected sick leave per year to take care of themselves and certain family members. Employees must earn at least one hour of earned sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Read the AG’s Office overview of Earned Sick Time in Massachusetts.

What are the food and agriculture essential services during COVID-19 in Massachusetts?

Farmers, farm workers, support service workers, and their supplier employees to include those engaged in producing and harvesting field crops; commodity inspection; fuel ethanol facilities; biodiesel and renewable diesel facilities; storage facilities; and other agricultural inputs.Employees and firms supporting the distribution of food, feed, and beverage and ingredients used in these products, including warehouse workers, vendor- managed inventory controllers and blockchain managers.

What are the recommendations for community health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Wear masks at all times in the community. Most people with COVID-19, including children, have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, and using masks prevents people who might not realize they are infected from spreading the virus to others.

Can an employer pay its employees late if they are shut down or operating at reduced capacity due to COVID-19?

No, employers must pay employees on the day of discharge (shut down) or within 6-7 days of the end of a pay period, depending on how many days per week employees work.

How much will I get paid if I take paid sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)?

See full answerIf you are taking paid sick leave because you are unable to work or telework due to a need for leave because you (1) are subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19; (2) have been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19; or (3) are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and are seeking medical diagnosis, you will receive for each applicable hour the greater of:• your regular rate of pay,• the federal minimum wage in effect under the FLSA, or• the applicable State or local minimum wage.In these circumstances, you are entitled to a maximum of $511 per day, or $5,110 total over the entire paid sick leave period.

Can I take paid sick leave to care for any one who is subject to a quarantine or isolation order or in self-quarantine?

See full answerNo. You may take paid sick leave under the FFCRA to care for an immediate family member or someone who regularly resides in your home. You may also take paid sick leave under the FFCRA to care for someone where your relationship creates an expectation that you care for the person in a quarantine or self-quarantine situation, and that individual depends on you for care during the quarantine or self-quarantine.However, you may not take paid sick leave under the FFCRA to care for someone with whom you have no relationship. Nor can you take paid sick leave under the FFCRA to care for someone who does not expect or depend on your care during his or her quarantine or self-quarantine due to COVID-19.

What foods to stock up on during the COVID-19 pandemic?

• Healthy cooking oils, such as canola or olive oil.• Balsamic vinegar, for flavor.• Eggs. They last longer than many cold-storage foods.• Milk. Consider shelf-stable milk or nondairy milk.• Family packs of lean meat, fish and chicken. Separate these into smaller portions and freeze until needed.

Are workers in the human and animal food and feed sector considered part of the essential infrastructure workforce?

See full answerYes, in a guidance issued by Department of Homeland Security on March 19 Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19, workers in the Food and Agriculture sector – agricultural production, food processing, distribution, retail and food service and allied industries – are named as essential critical infrastructure workers. Promoting the ability of our workers within the food and agriculture industry to continue to work during periods of community restrictions, social distances, and closure orders, among others, is crucial to community continuity and community resilience.

What is the community level prevention strategy for COVID-19?

COVID-19 Community Level and COVID-19 Prevention Layered prevention strategies — like staying up to date on vaccines, screening testing, ventilation and wearing masks — can help limit severe disease and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system.

Who is a covered employer that must provide paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave under the FFCRA?

See full answerGenerally, if you employ fewer than 500 employees you are a covered employer that must provide paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave. For additional information on the 500 employee threshold, see Question 2. Certain employers with fewer than 50 employees may be exempt from the Act’s requirements to provide certain paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave. For additional information regarding this small business exemption, see Question 4 and Questions 58 and 59 below.Certain public employers are also covered under the Act and must provide paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave.

What is the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)?

See full answerOn March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which provided additional flexibility for state unemployment insurance agencies and additional administrative funding to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27. It expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment benefits. For more information, please refer to the resources available below.

What does it mean to be unable to work, including telework for COVID-19 related reasons?

You are unable to work if your employer has work for you and one of the COVID-19 qualifying reasons set forth in the FFCRA prevents you from being able to perform that work, either under normal circumstances at your normal worksite or by means of telework.If you and your employer agree that you will work your normal number of hours, but outside of your normally scheduled hours (for instance early in the morning or late at night), then you are able to work and leave is not necessary unless a COVID-19 qualifying reason prevents you from working that schedule.

What are some of the best foods to eat during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Try to eat foods with unsaturated fats (such as those found in fish, avocados, nuts, olive oil, corn oils, etc.) rather than unsaturated fats, like those in fatty meat, butter, cream, and cheese. White meat, such as chicken, and fish are better choices than red meat because they are generally lower in fat.