Business Woman June 2020

June 2020

Employee benefits/erisa FMLA in the time of Corona

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Security Planning for your

Inside

WHAT’S 4 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 7 Manage up to move up

Seven ways to manage your virtual manager.

9 Employee benefits/erisa

Frequently asked questions about COVID-19.

11 Wow your anxious employees

Show your employees that you care.

13 Job recruiting

How companies will have to adapt after COVID-19.

14 Cyber charter schools and homeschooling

How these educational models help students grow.

16 orientation for the adult learner

Introducing a growing population of older students to campus.

• Retirement Readiness Planning • Financial Issues of Divorce • Investments • Long Term Care Insurance • Portfolio Analysis & Design • Securities Brokerage Services “ Working with my clients to help achieve their financial goals and dreams.â€?

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18 Adapting higher education for nontraditional students

Coronavirus and changing enrollment patterns affect education.

20 Bladder Cancer

Men are much more likely to get bladder cancer than women.

21 FMLA in the time of corona

The changing face of the Family Medical Leave Act.

22 women to watch

New hires and promotions.

23 MEET and Greet

Regional networking events and meetings.

June 2020

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS/ERISA FMLA IN THE TIME OF CORONA

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5 cover story

Meg and T.J. Foltz met in 2012 after T.J. won a contest, sponsored by Walmart, to get little guys into their stores. They both had a passion for helping underprivileged and in particular bringing access to clean water. They have made a difference in communities in Africa, India, and the Dominican Republic as well as help support disaster relief in the United States.

Cover photos: Meg and TJ Foltz celebrate the installation of the clean-water system to needy people.

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Editor’S

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Note

June 2020 Vol. 17 - No. 6

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL

hope you’re feeling as optimistic as I am. We nurture those relationships. have all been challenged during the pandemic.

We have a focus on education in this month’s issue, However, I think we are turning the corner both for children and adults. Even before the pandemic, as a country, though a little more slowly more and more people were home schooling or cyber statewide, but we are moving forward. I can feel the schooling their children. However, now, there is even anxiousness of people to get back to a greater interest. Might this be normal. As we get out and get more something to consider for the fall active, remember to do your part by for your children? wearing a mask and staying You may have noticed that socially distanced. Let’s hope we address a men’s health issue How wonderful it is that social distancing comes to end this month. We do this each year in the near future so we can hug in June in recognition of Men’s nobody need wait a single loved ones without guilt.

Health Awareness month. Did you An informational article is know that men are more likely to moment before starting to included that discusses how the get bladder cancer than women? improve the world.

Coronavirus Aid, Relief and They are so read on find out more.

Economic Security (CARES) We always feature a couple on – Anne Frank Act has impacted your employee the June cover of BusinessWoman. benefits. It talks about the changes Meg and TJ Foltz are helping people in rules governing a participant’s who don’t have clean running water.

401(k) funds and employee They are able to bring running health plans, including HSAs, FSAs, and AMSAs. Please water to them from the sales of bottled products through check it out. their for-profit company. Enjoy this heart-warming story.

It’s vital that leaders show their employees that Until next month, stay well; stay positive. they care about them not only as a person but also as a vital part of the organization all the time but especially now. It’s also important for employees to “manage up,” which is cultivating a great working relationship with the boss. As you probably realize, it’s a two-way street—both sides have to make a concerted effort to Christianne Rupp, Vice President and Managing Editor

“ ”

Vice President and Managing Editor

Christianne Rupp Editor Megan Joyce Contributing Writers

Mary Abbajay Gabriele Amersbach Jeremy Bauer-Wolf Barbara Trainin Blank Deb Boelkes Rebecca Hanlon Lynda Hudzick Julie Selesnick Barry Sparks Jack Whatley

ART DEPARTMENT Production Coordinator Production Artists

LAUREN Phillips Renee mcwilliams Connie Molitor

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Senior Marketing Consultant

Josh Binkley

Marketing Consultants BRITTNEY BONAGURA Cassidy Galeone

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Events Manager

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Story

CAREER

COVER

A Humankind Project for Access to Clean Water

By Lynda Hudzick Captions: Top: Meg and T.J. Foltz (pink shirts), sharing a moment with the community.

Middle left: Meg and T.J. on their wedding day.

Middle right: Meg enjoying a walk with a local toddler.

Bottom: Meg and T.J. with staff.

R

eadily available, clean drinking water is something many of us take for granted. All we have to do is turn on the tap, and it is right there for us. Yet, for many people across the globe, accessing clean water is much more difficult.

T.J. and Meg Foltz, of Humankind Water, are working hard to change that.

“Humankind was started by my husband around 2010, with the product launching about a year later,” Meg Foltz said.

A former youth pastor, T.J. Foltz had traveled internationally, where he met communities that did not have access to clean water.

“He felt called to quit his job, start a bottled water company, and donate 100% of the net profits to clean-water projects while he was largely supported by others as a type of missionary model,” she said.

Not long after the first bottle came off the production line, Humankind entered a contest called “Get on the Shelf,” sponsored by Walmart, to help get “the little guy into the biggest national retailer,” Foltz said.

Humankind won, beating 4,300 other products entered and with that, Humankind made it into the

big leagues.

Lancaster County native Meg Foltz had always had a passion for helping others. As a critical care nurse on the frontlines of a massive cholera outbreak in Haiti, she recalls that “people were dying within 24 hours because they didn’t have access to clean water … it started a fire in my gut that there had to be a way I could use my platform, my voice, to get people clean water.

I just didn’t know how.”

T.J. and Meg met in 2012 after she heard about the launch of Humankind and the recent win with Walmart. They found that they shared a passion for helping people have access to clean water and started working together, and, as Foltz said, “Soon we were in love … and the rest is history.”

Headquartered in Manheim, Humankind has a presence in the eastern region of the country, from the New York state line to the Jersey Shore to D.C. and the north of West Virginia.

“We do have a handful of other stores scattered around the states and have roughly 700 rooftops that carry us, including Giant,” Foltz said.

They are happy to call Lancaster County their home base because “since the very beginning, we’ve BUSINESSWomanPA.com

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Communities in India enjoying the taste of clean water. found Lancaster to be … incredibly supportive to small-business owners.

People love that every bottle sold/ purchased provides at least 50 gallons of water to someone in need,” she said.

T.J. and Meg Foltz truly enjoy the diversity and relational aspect of their work and, as Foltz put it, “a good day is a great interaction with someone … it’s sharing about

the heart of who we are at Humankind. It’s making a difference, big or small.”

Of course, sometimes they feel overwhelmed at the incredible need all around the world, yet they know they are having an impact with every gallon of clean water they help provide.

“I’ve met those individuals who are so grateful for clean water

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and those that are waiting,” Foltz said. “There is a weight and responsibility that comes with taking what you’ve seen and heard and not letting it fall on deaf ears.”

Working together as a couple is a unique experience, Foltz said.

It’s one with many pros and cons, but “ultimately, being able to pour into a great cause alongside my husband is really special,” she said.

They have been able to help communities in Africa, India, and the Dominican Republic, as well as help support disaster relief in the United States.

“The opportunities we’ve had meeting the beneficiaries has been life changing,” Foltz said. “Being able to lead teams on vision trips is humbling. I can’t get enough of sharing the celebration!”

The charitable side of the Humankind Company is referred to as kindHuman. In addition to the profits from the sales of the bottled water, kindHuman also provides an opportunity for those who are unable to access products or who want to make a bigger impact to make a tax-deductible donation.

They also “transfer the funds that are reserved for clean-water projects from the beverage sales from Humankind to kindHuman,” Foltz said.

Those dollars, along with any donations collected, are used to provide wells, filters, and rain-catchment systems in the communities they serve.

“We have vetted out international hydro-philanthropists that ensure that the work being done has local involvement and ownership, which helps to create sustainability,” she said.

Although neither T.J. nor Meg Foltz has any formal training in owning or operating a business, together they have learned how to make it work and are seeing their vision become a reality. They have learned to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses and to surround themselves with a strong team that shares their passion.

“I like to manage a team and believe in hiring the right person, training them well, setting expectations, and then letting them run,” she said.

Foltz is looking forward to a bright future where there will be “new iterations of Humankind,” she said. “New products and new causes to support … I’d love to see an end to the world’s water crisis in my lifetime.”

Since they began this journey, the Foltzes and the Humankind team have helped provide access to clean water for over 160,000 people, and they have every intention to keep growing that number.

“Our focus in 2020 is ‘Made for This’ — a reminder that we’re made to leave an impact and be a difference maker,” Foltz said.

“You pour into the empty, raise up the fallen, and cheer on the brokenhearted … there is room for all of us at the table.”

CAREER

Manage Up to Move Up: 7 Ways to Manage Your Virtual Manager

By MARY ABBAJAY

O

ur bosses have enormous influence over our career trajectory, so the ability to work successfully with one’s boss is a critical element for achieving success in the workplace.

This is called “managing up.”

Those who successfully manage up know how to intentionally cultivate a robust working relationship with their boss so that they can succeed, their boss can succeed, and the organization can succeed.

While managing up has always been (and always will be) a critical element to achieving workplace success, the sudden shift into remote work means that millions of people must rethink not only how to manage their workload, but also how to manage their boss relationships.

Here are seven tips to help you manage up in a virtual world: 1. Stay connected, and keep them in the loop. It is critical to stay connected with your boss.

Building trust requires consistent connection. Make a concerted effort to stay on your boss’s radar and you on theirs. Try to communicate with your boss on a daily basis.

This could be a daily check-in, email, or phone call. Keep your boss updated about your projects, deadlines, and general workstream.

Don’t assume your boss knows what you’ve accomplished or what you’re working on. Be proactive about keeping them abreast of your accomplishments and apprised on your workload, tasks, and priorities.

2. Be transparent about your availability. Be transparent with your boss about your virtual work schedule, time boundaries, and constraints. Let your boss know when you are available to work and when you are not. This may require some negotiation, as many people face childcare and other household issues that impact the traditional 9-to-5 framework.

If this is the case for you, negotiate a flexible schedule that works for both of you. For example, if you have to take time out during the day for childcare, then be transparent about that and offer to be back online later in the evening.

This also means that you must be available when you say are available! Let your boss know the best way to reach you (e.g., email, text, phone, etc.) and then rigorously

monitor that communication channel. Sadly, many managers are still distrustful of telework, so do what you can to reassure them that you are on the job by responding as promptly as possible.

3. Align your communication styles. Effective communication is critical for managing virtual relationships. Find out how your boss prefers to communicate, and do your best to align to their style. Does your boss prefer email?

Text? Slack? Conference call?

If your boss is an introvert, you may have to be more proactive in connecting with them, as introverts can easily disappear into their own little worlds. With introverted bosses, be proactive about scheduling meetings and check-ins.

Get on their calendar. Use email or text to get their attention.

If your boss is more of an extrovert, then make time to connect via phone or video, as extroverts tend to prefer more socially dynamic interactions. Extroverts are going to want to see you and hear from you.

Bottom line: Work with your boss’s communication preferences and not against them.

4. Seek feedback. Getting feedback is always a critical aspect to managing up, as it helps you learn what is important to your boss — and how your boss experiences you. Since the virtual environment adds an additional layer of complexity, it’s important to be proactive about seeking feedback.

Check in frequently with your boss to get feedback on both your work product and your virtual engagement. Ask your boss what you can do more of, less of, or

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differently. Be specific about the feedback you are seeking.

For example, instead of asking, “Do you have any feedback for me?” try asking for feedback on a specific project, task, or process, like this: “What suggestions do you have for me to improve the X project?” It’s much easier for managers to give feedback on specific topics.

5. Take initiative. As with any challenging experience, this forced new reality is rife with opportunity for those willing to take initiative and embrace an entrepreneurial attitude. Stay on the lookout for ways to fill gaps, solve problems, and create better virtual processes and work products.

Take the initiative to master the new virtual tools that your team is using. Look for ways to better serve customers, clients, team members, and stakeholders. Show your boss that you are ready, willing, and able to learn new skills and contribute to the organization’s

success in new ways.

6. Have the conversation. You don’t have to guess what your manager’s virtual workstyle, preferences, priorities, or pet peeves may be — you can ask her!

Schedule a meeting with your boss to discuss her wants, needs, and expectations.

Ask her about her communication and engagement preferences and expectations. Ask her about her priorities, goals, concerns, and challenges. Learn as much as you can about what she cares about the most, and then align yourself accordingly.

Here are some questions to consider: • W hat is your preferred mode of communication?

• How often do you want to meet as a team and on a one-to-one basis?

• How often do you like to be kept updated on projects? How do you like your updates?

• W hat level of detail do you like to have?

• W hat are your top priorities?

What is highest priority to you?

• W hat are lower-priority items?

• W hat are the biggest pressures on this team/you/department?

• W hat are your biggest concerns right now, especially working virtually?

• W hat are your pet peeves about working virtually?

• W hat can I help with? How can I be of the most service to you?

• W hat can I do more of? Less of?

Or differently to work well with you?

7. Be supportive. Stay positive.

For many bosses, managing a virtual team will be daunting. This is especially true for bosses who resisted teleworking in the past.

We are looking to the future and greeting you at these upcoming events.

Please mark your calendar and plan to join us!

My team recently surveyed 100 managers, and 43% said they were worried about their ability to succeed as a virtual leader.

Be patient as your boss makes the shift and finds his or her virtual footing. The sudden virtual work environment can be stressful and difficult — for managers and employees alike. Don’t add to the stress with a negative mindset.

While remote working may not be your cup of tea, it’s important to see it as an opportunity to not only to grow and learn, but to also show your boss that you are a resilient, steadfast, and valuable employee.

• Mary Abbajay, author of the award-winning, bestselling Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss, is the president of Careerstone Group, a boutique management consultancy that delivers leading-edge talent and leadership development solutions to business and government. www.careerstonegroup.com

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CAREER

Employee Benefits/ERISA: COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

A

s the COVID-19 crisis deepens, many hardworking Americans are looking for answers from the government and their employers about the impact on their 401(k) and employee health plans.

Julie Selesnick, of counsel at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC in Washington, D.C., and a member of the firm’s employee benefits/ERISA practice group, has studied the recent Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and created the frequently asked questions below to help workers understand the changes to the rules governing their 401(k) and health plans.

Q: Has the CARES Act changed the rules governing a participant’s access to funds in their 401(k)?

A: Yes, Section 2202 of the CARES Act temporarily eases the limitations on loans and distributions from 401(k) retirement funds and temporarily relaxes the rules regarding repayment of existing loans.

Not every participant is eligible for this relief, however. There must be a coronavirus-related reason for seeking the loan, distribution, or deferred repaying of existing loans.

Q: Are participants who are impacted by coronavirus able to obtain distributions from their retirement funds?

A: Yes, if the plan allows it, participants may withdraw, penalty free, up to $100,000 between the date the CARES Act became effective (March 27, 2020) through Dec.

31, 2020, in “coronavirus-related distributions” (CRDs). This is double the usual limit allowed in any calendar year and can be taken as a loan or as a hardship distribution.

Q: What are the eligibility requirements to access this increased benefit?

A: Eligibility requirements are very broad so that as many people as possible qualify without needing to engage in a lot of administrative red tape. If you are a plan participant that meets any of these requirements, you are eligible to benefit under Section 2202 of the CARES Act: •Y ou, the participant, have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

•Y ou, the participant, have a spouse or a dependent who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

•Y ou are experiencing financial

hardship as a result of being laid off, furloughed, having your work hours reduced, or because of quarantine.

• You are unable to work because you have no available childcare due to coronavirus-related closures.

The CARES Act allows retirementplan administrators to rely on the word of the plan participant that they meet at least one of the above requirements.

There is no need to request a doctor’s note or any additional documentation if a participant seeks a CRD, but it never hurts to request the participant certify in writing, even by email, that the CRD results from one of the above four areas, just in case anything is questioned in the future.

Q: Have the loan limits for plan participants been adjusted?

A: If your plan allows it, then yes, just like for distributions, the loan

limit can be increased to $100,000 or up to 100% of the participant’s vested account balance if it is less than $100,000, but only for loans made on or before Sept. 23, 2020, for participants seeking a CRD. Loans from qualified retirement accounts are governed by Section 2202(b) of the CARES Act (distributions are governed by section 2202(a)).

Q: What about outstanding loans?

A: If your plan allows it, loan repayments from plan participants — which are due from March 27, 2020 (the date the CARES Act became effective), through Dec. 31, 2020 — can be delayed by qualified employees for up to a year, although interest will continue to accrue during that time.

The plan can also extend the terms of the deferred loan for a year. Qualified employees are those who fit any of the criteria for which a CRD can be sought.

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Q: Can a participant who receives a CRD repay the amount into a qualified retirement plan?

A: Yes! A participant has three years from the day after the CRD was received to repay the amount that was borrowed into a qualified retirement plan capable of accepting rollovers.

There is still some uncertainty about the tax impacts of repaying a CRD, although if the participant opts not to pay the CRD back, the income tax on the CRD can also be spread over a three-year period and the usual 10% penalty is waived.

Q: Do retirees have to take the required minimum distribution (RMD) this year?

A: For the remainder of 2020, the CARES Act suspends the required minimum distributions (RMDs) that participants are usually required to take from tax-deferred 401(k)s and IRAs starting at either age 70 1/2 or 72.

This is to protect workers who would otherwise be required to

withdraw funds from their retirement accounts during this period of stock market decline. Unlike the other provisions related to retirement plans in the CARES Act, the suspension of RMDs for 2020 applies to all qualified retirement-plan participants, whether they fit the criteria for obtaining a CRD or not.

Q: Are there any changes to group health plans for treatment for COVID-19?

A: On March 11, 2020, the IRS issued a notice to advise that the providers of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) would be permitted to pay for COVID-19related testing and treatment before the deductibles are met without jeopardizing their status as HDHPs. It is important to be aware that the notice does not require HDHPs to do this; it just authorizes those who wish to do so, so plan participants wondering about coverage for COVID-19 testing and related services should check with their benefits manager or their

health insurance company to determine if this exception applies to their HDHP. Employers/plan providers: Note that this “safe harbor” provision applies to the 2020 and 2021 plan years and requires plan document/summary plan description amendments and carrier contract updates.

health-reimbursement arrangements are also now allowed to be used to pay for menstrual care products like tampons and pads. Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, these items will be treated as qualified medical expenses.

HSAs, FSAs, AMSAs, and other health-reimbursement arrangements can be used to pay for telehealth visits.

If you have additional questions about your rights under your employer-sponsored 401(k) or health plan, please contact Selesnick at jselesnick@cohenmilstein.com.

Q: Are there any changes for how the funds in health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), Archer medical savings accounts (AMSAs), and other healthreimbursement arrangements can be used?

A: HSAs, FSAs, AMSAs, and other health-reimbursement arrangements once again cover the purchase of some over-the-counter medical products. This includes products that are needed for social distancing and for quarantine, and no prescription is required. This applies to purchases or expenses starting Jan. 1, 2020.

HSAs, FSAs, AMSAs, and other

• Julie Selesnick was selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers Magazine in the area of employee benefits in 2019 and 2020, and the Cohen Milstein Employee Benefits/ERISA Group earned a spot among Law360’s “Benefits Practice Group of the Year.” Selesnick has studied the recent Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and created frequently asked questions to help workers understand the changes to the rules governing their 401(k) and health plans.

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CAREER

WOW Your Anxious Employees by Showing Them You Care

By DEB BOELKES

s the pandemic churns on, your employees may be getting somewhat settled into their strange new routines. But don’t be fooled: Even as they get acclimated with Zoom meetings or working in masks, their anxiety hasn’t gone away. If anything, it’s just gone underground.

That’s why it’s up to you as the leader to remind them just how much you care, even as you engage, inspire, and challenge them.

Heartfelt leadership is needed more than ever in times of great fear. And the good news is that striving to be this kind of leader is nothing new. Best-ever bosses have always sought to wow employees by showing them authentic love.

Of course, love is only part of the story. Leadership actions that create Best Places to Work include things like sharing pride in your mission, products, and services; empowering workers to feel they have a career instead of a job; challenging them; teaching skills that help them succeed; and helping them feel happy, fulfilled, and successful in their lives by fostering friendship, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging.

Employees still need all of these things. The pandemic hasn’t changed that. And the good news is, none of them is mutually exclusive.

In fact, all the things you do to create a “wow” culture automatically show employees you care.

Here are a few tips: Build trust by keeping team members informed. Whatever it

takes, find ways to inform team members about what is going on, what’s expected of them, and what they can expect of you. This builds trust.

Pick up the phone, make a call, send emails, or shoot an occasional text to keep team members updated in real time. Be transparent.

Share what you know. The more they know about what’s going on, the more connected, comfortable, and assured they will feel.

Tell your team members you want to be kept informed by them, too. Eagerly encourage them to contact you, at their convenience rather than yours, to ask questions, express their feedback about what’s working or not working, and share their concerns. Let them know your “virtual door” is always open.

Pay attention to those who don’t do well working alone. Some people feel isolated, depressed, and unproductive when working alone. These are the team members at greatest risk of becoming disengaged.

If you have the chance to do so — and if your situation allows — encourage these people to volunteer to be part of small groups that rotate into the office or warehouse every few days. It will give them something to look forward to, help them stay productive, and bolster their sense of self-worth, well-being, and belonging.

Be especially considerate and forgiving of those with family issues. Some people may find it difficult to work from home

even under normal circumstances.

But now, with most schools and daycare centers being closed, working from home can be especially challenging for those who must now also perform duties they usually pay others to perform.

Be mindful that some workers may struggle with weaving their business responsibilities around additional responsibilities of homeschooling and childcare.

Single parents may be particularly overwhelmed by managing both work and family duties, especially if they have infants or toddlers and no one else to rely on for assistance. You as the leader might even be struggling with these things yourself.

Offer team members the option to change their work schedules to best coordinate the sharing of responsibilities for homeschooling, fit in nap times when infants are napping, and so forth.

Offer creative options to ease their burden at home. Anticipate that for most everyone, regardless of whether they must now work from home or are still on the job in the workplace with added workload, work-life balance will be a greater challenge than usual.

Offer the option for team members to select from a list of home-delivery services, to be funded by the organization, to

help reduce the stress and ease the burden in unique ways.

Home-delivery service options might include a month of laundry service; a “meal-in-abox” dinner service (such as Blue Apron, HelloFresh, Sun Basket, etc.); a replacement for regularly subsidized school and/or workplace lunches by having lunch delivered daily (such as pizza, salad, soup, and/or sandwich); or a shortterm subscription to online yoga classes … and send the gift of a yoga mat via an online or local retailer.

Understand what makes employees tick and why they work there. Don’t underestimate the importance of having regular performance reviews and professional development oneon-ones, especially during times like these, even if such meetings must be held online.

Just because jobs are no longer as plentiful as they were just a short time ago, never assume your best team members won’t jump ship. Ask them, “What keeps you at our company?”

If you haven’t done it in a while, ask about their career goals.

Make sure they know they have your support in working toward achieving their dreams and desires.

Determine how, in the current situation, they can best align

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their unique strengths, evolving professional objectives, and personal needs to best support the organization’s new objectives.

Foster networking between team members. Help every member of the team and beyond to build and maintain meaningful relationships while working apart.

Create online task forces, as needed, to solve new problems that may now come up.

Ask for volunteers from different departments, from key customer accounts, and/or from suppliers to keep ideas flowing and everyone engaged (both in and outside the company) and working together to achieve common goals.

Schedule plenty of “fun” breaks. Encourage team members to periodically get away from the computer, especially if working from home.

Suggest they take advantage of scheduled break times to do things they normally may not be

able to do when working from the office, such as spend time with the kids or their life partner, take a walk or bike ride for a change of scene, or just take a nap.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to work from home.

Further, help keep team members connected through online all-hands team chats at the beginning of each week or each morning. Consider hosting an online “happy hour” once or twice a week or an online coffee break at some point during the day to let team members share ideas and catch up informally. Encourage team members to display their special talents, such as singing or playing a musical instrument, during an online team meeting.

Have fun and enjoy the chance to build a new sense of belonging and family in entirely new ways.

Allow for more flexible scheduling. If this is your industry’s busy season, allow team members to take comp time at their preferred

times. Rather than mandate work schedules, allow team members to work out their own work schedules with each other, if possible.

Likewise, if possible, give team members the option to work nontraditional shifts, perhaps three or four days per week, or a different number of days or hours on/off shift to best coordinate with their life partner’s schedule, child-rearing demands, etc.

Do what it takes to make team members feel appreciated. People will do anything for leaders who praise their efforts and are appreciative, especially in times of struggle. Be especially forthcoming with good news and praises for jobs well done.

Job-satisfaction surveys prove again and again that simply appreciating someone’s work can be more important than any other factor in employee engagement.

The recipients of your appreciation will most likely be inspired to put forth an even greater effort to ensure they will be thanked again.

That’s why the military gives ribbons and awards to soldiers. It keeps their hearts and minds in the battle, especially when the going gets tough.

Your team needs all the support you can muster right now. Everyone is doing their best to adapt to the situation and keep business moving, but we still have a long way to go before things return to normal.

If you lead with all the generosity and love that’s in your heart, you will empower everyone to show up each day ready to be their best.

• Deb Boelkes is the author of The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture and Heartfelt Leadership: How to Capture the Top Spot and Keep on Soaring. She is a leader and authority on creating best places to work, with 25plus years in Fortune 150 high-tech firms, leading superstar business development and professional services teams. She has accelerated advancement for women to senior leadership and inspired over 1,000 audiences. For more information, please visit www.businessworldrising.com.

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CAREER

COVID-19 Will Change Job Recruiting Here’s How Companies Need to Adapt

By JACK WHATLEY

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has upended the business world and put tens of millions out of work in the U.S. At the same time, it’s caused a seismic shift in the way many companies operate, the biggest change being that more business functions are done while working remotely.

But along with the work-fromhome aspect, the fallout from the coronavirus will fundamentally change recruiting and hiring practices long after the pandemic has passed.

Social distancing, shelter-inplace orders, and the forced closing of businesses will change the way we look at employment. No longer will the promises of changing the world attract the modern workforce.

Safety and job stability are at the top of the mind for the modern job seeker — and that changed what they want in a job.

Businesses will have to become employee-centric as well as customercentric. The companies that have the ability to capture that part of the employee message, put it into their employer branding, and reinforce it throughout recruitment marketing campaigns are going to be the companies moving ahead in a much different world.

As states begin different stages of reopening for business, here is a breakdown of what companies should do when recruiting, hiring, and re-hiring:

Create a communication campaign. If you’re a company that laid off employees with the hope of

bringing them back, you have to reach out with genuine communication that goes the extra mile. It should let them know in detail what steps the company is taking.

Those people who were let go unexpectedly and lived paycheck to paycheck will be emotionally drained and stressed. A company bringing them back needs to make them feel valued so the company doesn’t lose those relationships.

Be careful in rehiring. Rehires won’t be a straightforward process for some companies. Circumstances won’t allow them to rehire or bring back from furlough all of their former employees.

Employers must be cautious in determining whom to bring back to the workplace; they need to mitigate the risk of potential discrimination claims, which could be based on the decision not to bring back certain employees.

Employers will need to have a legitimate, nondiscriminatory

reason for choosing which employees to rehire. Those reasons include seniority, operational needs, or documented past performance issues. Employers should document their decision-making process now, before deciding who will be invited back.

Focus on expanded employee rights. A new appreciation for workers may be emerging as state and local governments mandate paid sick leave and family leave during the outbreak. Some companies are shifting their focus to hourly workers as well for those perks.

This change could become permanent as organizations work hard to hire new staff and increase retention rates.

Streamline the process. If the recruiting process gets backlogged, it causes problems for your current employees and an understaffed company. It becomes frustrating for them because they’re forced

to work overtime, and the big workload kills morale and increases turnover.

Most companies look at hiring people as a transaction — they need to fill a seat. They place a job posting and fill the job. In the new world, that will no longer be the case. To get the best talent, companies will have to engage people sooner and more thoughtfully and put a higher priority on what employees value most in a job.

• Jack Whatley is a recruiting strategist who specializes in creating employerbranding campaigns that position companies as the employer of choice in their market. He is the author of Human Code of Hiring: DNA of Recruitment Marketing. Whatley and his partner, daughter, and innovation wizard Anika Whatley have been working to perfect the Human Code DNA Hiring System, which uses the latest technology to improve the quality of worker life and enhance recruiter productivity. www.humancodehiring.com

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How Cyber Charter Schools and Homeschooling Help Students Grow

FAMILY

By REBECCA HANLON

M

ost educators agree: Not every child learns the same.

While some students flourish with hands-on experiences, others love burying their noses in a book. Some students master the art of leadership in group settings, while others develop the most when they work alone.

Sometimes, parents find a traditional school setting doesn’t work.

That’s why some parents are turning to home-based educations that give them the flexibility to educate their children at their own pace and with a variety of subjects.

In Pennsylvania, the growing trend of homeschooling and cyber charter schools allows parents to have a greater hand in their child’s education.

The state requires homeschool students to visit a certified evaluator at the end of each school year to determine if the student is meeting state requirements.

Evaluators review samples of schoolwork and make sure students have completed the required 180 days of school for the year.

Parents often see their own children learn differently or have different needs and opt to have them attend different learning centers based on their personal needs and where they feel most comfortable.

Many parents start teaching at home for different reasons. For some, they have religious beliefs they want to follow and include in their home teaching.

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For others, their children don’t perform well in the left-brain society that is public school.

Some students live in school

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districts that don’t offer programs for gifted children. Those children can’t thrive, and other options become enticing, such as

homeschooling. Students have been able to blossom and learn statistics and physics at a college level, while others have written books or

popular option, especially since the pandemic.

Many parents have felt the disruption to their child’s school year, and what is in store for the fall is yet to be seen. There is a lot of uncertainty about what public school will look like in the fall. Now may be the time to check into cyber schooling.

Cyber charter schools operate as a public school. Instead of going to a traditional school down the road, children learn at home with the help of Pennsylvania Certified Teachers.

Cyber schools typically serve children in kindergarten through 12th grade. A rolling enrollment period means any student can start cyber school at any time. And because cyber schools are public schools, they are funded through taxpayer dollars, so parents don’t have to pay enrollment fees.

Cyber schooling may have several delivery methods for the curriculum. Students can learn in a virtual classroom with a traditional

school schedule and other students in a web platform. Students also can learn through blended classrooms, where they meet with a teacher once a week to work through particular subjects.

When students aren’t in the virtual classroom, they’re at home doing homework and being supervised by parents.

Regional offices throughout the state also offer enrichment activities, such as art and music classes, as well as clubs similar to brick-and-mortar schools, such as a newspaper and photography. This gives students an outlet if they are looking for more interaction with classmates and want to meet in a social setting.

Students also come together for state testing, such as the Keystones. Because cyber schools are public schools, students are required to meet the same standards as their peers in the school districts. A diploma earned at a cyber charter school is the same as the one earned at a traditional

public school.

Students who enter cyber schools come from different backgrounds.

Some experienced social issues or bullying in other schools and want to focus on their academics without those distractions.

Others are looking for opportunities to accelerate or sign up for challenging courses that traditional schools may not be able to offer.

As cyber charter schools have become more in the public’s eye, the program has evolved, particularly with the curriculum.

As Pennsylvania standards change, cyber schools have kept up, while still offering programs that are customizable to individual students.

Certainly, cyber schools will continue to evolve and grow as time goes on. Children learn differently.

And perhaps some children as well as their parents are anxious about being put back in a crowded environment. This could be a viable option for you!

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have unique athletic- or music-driven schedules.

Homeschool parents only need a GED to teach in Pennsylvania.

Many parents who might not be qualified in certain subjects do their part to find tutors or join homeschool co-ops.

Co-op groups that meet throughout the year help supplement home learning, either with group classes, such as choir and gym, or specialized subjects, such as foreign languages or science. Many of the classes are taught by mothers who are well versed in those topics.

New homeschool parents should be very organized and research the law and their school district requirements. Pennsylvania Homeschoolers is an organization recommended for learning about available resources.

For other parents, a home education is appealing, but homeschooling isn’t their first choice. In that case, cyber charter schools are becoming a

Orientation for the Adult Learner

Lifestyle

By JEREMY BAUER-WOLF

I

nstitutions are trying to figure out how to introduce a growing population of older students to their campuses.

Most of the undergraduates headed for or returning to college this year will be inundated with welcome week and orientation events designed to connect them with classmates, help them find extracurricular activities and clubs, and make them feel at home on campus.

The festivals and concerts may appeal to students in the traditional college age range of 18–24, but older students, an ever-increasing population on American campuses, often want something different.

These older students are often professionals with full-time jobs.

They may have children and be balancing family responsibilities while attending college. They might only take classes part-time.

They may not have time for lengthy events or feel they don’t need the extra fluff that often comes with typical orientations. They want information pared down to simply learn what they need to earn their degrees.

Enrollment in college by those older than 25 has been steadily increasing in recent decades. It increased by 11% between 2006 and 2016. More than 7 million students ages 25 and older attended college last fall, according to federal data.

“They’re really focused on finishing,” said David Duvall, director of the New Maverick Orientation and Transition program at the University of Texas at Arlington.

“Anything we can do to help them with that, that’s what this program is all about.”

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Almost every institution offers orientation programs introducing all students to campus. The programs have grown and evolved so much over the years that many universities now hold separate events for parents of incoming freshmen.

More recently, colleges have

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started offering orientations designed for nontraditional students, such as those over age 25.

In a 2017 survey of 229 institutions, conducted by NODA, the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education, 35% offered orientation for “nontraditional” students.

Joyce Holl, NODA’s executive director, said many of these institutions sponsor weeklong programs prior to the start of the academic year to help older students and others. But she said colleges should also have “many touch points” or interactions with these students throughout the semester

“”

Enrollment in college by those older than 25 has been steadily increasing in recent decades. It increased by 11% between 2006 and 2016. More than 7 million students ages 25 and older attended college last fall, according to federal data.

this is how we assuage those fears,” he said.

Technology tends to also be a barrier for the older students at Peirce College, a private institution in Philadelphia that caters to “adult learners” and working professionals.

The average age of the students there is 35, said Shannon Begley, the college’s dean of academic advising and registrar.

Peirce’s orientation program offers classes in time management and balancing college and personal life, Begley said.

Most students don’t have time to sit through hours-long sessions on all aspects of the college, so students can attend one of the six orientation sessions Peirce holds throughout the year. Representatives from different departments on campus are on hand at these sessions to help students with a checklist of tasks that must be completed before they start classes.

Begley said she’s had conversations with adult students who have struggled to adapt to college but let their pride keep them from seeking help.

Linking those

students with a mentor they feel comfortable with can help chip away at that sense of pride, Begley said.

“We try to give you all the things from when you enter the door, so it becomes a natural part of your experience here at Peirce,” she said.

Administrators need to recognize that nontraditional and older students have needs that are distinct from younger college students, said R. Lee Viar IV, president of the Association for Nontraditional Students in Higher Education.

He also believes the two biggest obstacles adult students face are time management and technology. But they need to feel comfortable to get help in those areas. Having separate orientations for older students addresses such concerns, he said.

Institutions should not let a teenage guide give students in their 40s or 50s tours of campus, for instance, Viar said.

“That’s the same age as their kids — they won’t ask questions,” he said.

Once orientation is over, however, institutions should try to integrate

all students regardless of their age brackets. The younger learners tend to have more experience with technology, and their older counterparts often have “life experiences” that can be useful or interesting in classes, Viar said.

Duvall, at UT Arlington, said his institution offers a half-day program for nontraditional students, which can be students 25 and older or those belonging to other demographic groups.

Part of that orientation involves introducing students with the same major, which can result in students of different ages mixing, he said.

But most of the program focuses on “need-to-know” information, such as how to pay fees and tuition, campus safety protocols, and medical and mental health services.

Older students had complained in the past that the full-day orientation they were required to participate in took up too much time and included information about broader campus culture that they were not interested in, Duvall said.

About 1,200–1,500 students participated in the course during the last academic year, Duvall said. UT Arlington also holds an orientation session on Saturday for students who work full-time.

“I think they really are surprised by all that campuses have to offer,” he said.

• Inside Higher Ed is the nation’s top source for online news, analysis, and services about the higher education industry, with more than 2 million unique monthly users. www.insidehighered.com

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Lifestyle

to ensure their academic needs are being met.

“What is offered and how may be different for each population,” Holl said.

Dan Nimlos was 25 when he started his undergraduate studies in 2009 at Bethel University, an evangelical institution in Minnesota.

He’d taken a few years off after high school to explore being a musician and didn’t want to rack up debt.

He met with an enrollment counselor before classes officially began and was given a list of his courses, but not much more. So he wandered around campus, confused about where to go or to whom to ask questions in the first few days after classes started.

He points to his cursory introduction to the campus as one of the reasons he took the job as Bethel’s student experience manager in charge of running the orientation program for nontraditional students.

Bethel’s orientation involves an online class that provides useful information, such as how to submit assignments and fill out financial aid forms online, how to connect to the campus Wi-Fi, and how to complete various other tasks, on or off campus.

The class is a subtle acknowledgment of, and accommodation for, the needs of students who’ve not been in college for many years and who may be overwhelmed by the new technology on campus, Nimlos said.

“There is a lot of self-doubt … questions about, ‘How do I find my footing here?’ And a good part of

Coronavirus and Changing Enrollment Patterns Affect Education

I

Lifestyle

By BARBARA TRAININ BLANK t has been an unprecedented and terrifying event. As the coronavirus was increasingly identified as a pandemic — affecting not only people’s health, but also the country’s economy and many other aspects of life — learning has moved more and more out of the formal classroom and online.

This has been especially true in colleges and universities, which probably had less of a challenge than elementary and high schools

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when it came to students having access to computers.

But higher education has been moving in that direction in any case.

According to Lynn Notestine, associate director of Temple University Harrisburg, headquartered in Strawberry Square, the university has been gearing up or planning to offer more online options for quite some time.

“COVID has sped that up,” she added. “In my unit, we’ve been developing more programs that are

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offered completely online and will continue to do that if it remains an educationally sound way to offer a program.

“Historically, Temple had a number of successful master’s degree programs, such as social work, education, and business,” she added. “Due to the influx of these programs moving to online learning and the current budget model for schools, many of these MA degree programs are not located at TUH any longer.”

Recently, TUH launched online certificates for working with veterans and their families and nonprofit management.

Other significant trends in higher education have been taking place. There has been a decline nationally in the overall number of college students — 250,000 fewer in 2019. This has been a consistent decline, of about 11% in the past eight years, Notestine said.

Another trend has been a shift in the composition of the student

career by earning new credentials.

Some want to complete a degree after other priorities — like family or military service — put their education plans on hold, while others simply want to keep learning.

Nontraditional students may be highly motivated but may also face greater challenges in completing their educational goals.

A survey conducted by the Public Agenda and the Kresge Foundation found that 70% of prospective adult students say skills and knowledge directly relevant to the workplace are absolutely essential when choosing a school. The survey also found that not taking on too much debt is a major concern.

Colleges and universities have had to make adjustments as student populations have changed.

They have learned, for example, that educating adults requires a different approach than educating children or teenagers. Rather than assuming that adults need to be taught everything from square one, institutions of higher learning also

realize that nontraditional students bring work and life experiences to the table even if they lack a degree or many academic credits.

Some schools, like Temple University, have a leg up on the challenge. The university has long had an association with nontraditional teaching, explained Notestine. “[Temple University Harrisburg] was founded because of groups of people from the community who worked all day and wanted to take classes at night [and] were students of limited means.”

With coronavirus, however, some colleges and universities face challenges entirely new to them.

Because of the pandemic, Notestine pointed out, TUH is switching many classes, workshops, classes, etc., to an online format.

“However,” she said, “there are students who do not want that format nor learn best with that format.”

And even in the aftermath of COVID-19, some learning continues the old-fashioned way.

“A lot of traditional noncredit

education is done via face-to-face training,” said Notestine. “We are currently assessing which of our trainings that are offered face-to-face could be offered completely online or in a hybrid format.”

One popular noncredit training program is the grant-writing certificate program, which is a flexible certificate noncredit training program that provides supervisors, managers, directors, and emerging leaders with the opportunity to learn and practice skills in developing successful proposals.

Two other new programs are the strengths-based leadership certificate program, a flexible certificate program that applies to a wide variety of businesses and nonprofits, and the continuing education series for human services professionals.

“These offer human services and helping professionals with the opportunity to earn up to 26 social-work continuing education hours,” said Notestine.

Keeping Yourself Healthy Take Steps to Protect Yourself Clean your hands often t Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. t If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

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t Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Take steps to protect others t Cover coughs and sneezes. t Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. t Throw used tissues in the trash. t Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Social distancing 6 feet

t Stay home as much as you can, and if you must go out, maintain at least 6 feet of space between yourself and others.

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population. Today, adult learners — defined as students 25 and older — make up about a third of students currently enrolled in colleges and universities, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Looking at undergraduate students alone, the Lumina Foundation reports that about 38% are older than 25, more than 25% are raising children, and about 58% work while in college.

Adult learners, also known as nontraditional students, are diverse: They might be baby boomers or millennials, veterans or parents.

They might have no experience with higher education; they might have taken a few classes online or in person or have completed multiple degrees. They might be working part or full time.

The goals of adult learners may also differ: They might want to pursue higher education in the hope of changing careers, to expand their career options, or to stay competitive in their current

Men Much More Likely to Get Bladder Cancer than Women

By BARRY SPARKS

Wellness

A

lthough bladder cancer can affect women at any age, men are nearly four times more likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer than women.

This year, an estimated 61,000 men, compared to 18,000 women, will be diagnosed with the disease.

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer among men, according to the American Cancer Society.

Known as an older person’s disease, 90% of people diagnosed with bladder cancer are older than 55. The average age people are diagnosed with the disease is 73.

While it’s not clear why so many more men are diagnosed with the disease than women, researchers believe three risk factors are involved.

“The strongest risk factor is smoking,” says Dr. Matthew Brennan, medical oncologist, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. “Smokers are twice as likely to get bladder cancer as nonsmokers. And, many more men smoke than women.

“The second factor is occupational exposure to harmful chemicals,” continued Brennan. “Many men work in the rubber, textile, leather, or chemical industries. Lastly, testosterone may have an effect on the bladder.”

Bladder cancer usually starts in the cells that line the bladder, which collects urine from the kidneys before expelling it from the body through urination.

The most common bladder cancer

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is transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), also known as urothelial carcinoma.

Blood in your urine, making your urine appear bright red or cola colored, is usually the first symptom of bladder cancer.

“If you have blood in your urine, you should make an appointment with your physician to get it checked out,” stresses Brennan.

Other symptoms include urgent and/or frequent urination, a stopand-start flow of urine, and a burning sensation while urinating.

Later-stage bladder cancer may cause pelvis, back, or rectum pain, an inability to urinate, headaches, swelling in the feet, and weight loss.

If detected early, bladder cancer is highly treatable. About 7 out of every 10 bladder cancers diagnosed start out at an early stage.

The main forms of treatment for bladder cancer include one or several of the following: surgery, chemotherapy, immunological therapy, and radiation therapy. The treatment depends on several factors, including the location and stage of the cancer, the individual’s overall health, their age, and their personal preferences.

Bladder cancer can be invasive or noninvasive. If it spreads into the muscle layer, then it’s invasive, making it much more difficult to treat.

The overall survival rates for bladder cancer are encouraging. The general five-year survival rate for people with bladder cancer is 77%; the 10-year survival rate is 70%;

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and the 15-year survival rate is 65%, according to the American Cancer Society.

“Survival rates, however, depend on many factors, including the type and stage of bladder cancer that is detected,” says Brennan.

American Cancer Society statistics reveal the five-year survival rate for people with bladder cancer that has not spread beyond the inner layer of the bladder wall is 95%. If the tumor is invasive but has not yet spread out of the bladder, the five-year survival rate is 69%.

If the cancer extends through the bladder to the surrounding tissue or has spread to nearby lymph nodes or organs, the five-year survival rate drops to 35%. If the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the fiveyear survival rate is 5%.

Bladder cancer, however, has the highest rate of recurrence — between 50% and 80% — of any form of cancer, according to the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. That’s why the American Cancer Society recommends asking your doctor for a survivorship care plan, which includes a schedule for follow-up exams and tests.

Brennan says survival rates for bladder cancer are increasing. He believes recent developments in medical technology and new drugs used to treat bladder cancer will continue to improve those rates.

For example, blue light cystoscopy, a form of imaging technology, is being used to help physicians better detect and remove smaller tumors in

the bladder. Many of these tumors would have otherwise been overlooked.

In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration approved enfortumab vedotin, a prescription drug known as PADCEV, to treat adults with bladder cancer that has spread or can’t be removed surgically. It may be used if the patient has received an immunotherapy medicine and a chemotherapy-containing platinum medicine. The drug was FDA-approved based on a clinical study.

Nadofaragene firadenovec, known as INSTILADRIN, is being used for patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who have failed other therapies. This gene therapy uses the body’s own bladder wall cells to produce interferon, enhancing the body’s natural defenses against cancer.

What can you do to help prevent bladder cancer?

“The first thing to do is to stop smoking,” emphasizes Brennan.

“That’s the most important thing.

Smoking significantly increases your chances of bladder cancer.

Not smoking also will decrease the likelihood of the cancer recurring.

And, there’s evidence that secondhand smoke may be a risk factor, so I would try to avoid it.”

Other recommendations include: Choose a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water each day, and follow all safety procedures and instructions when working with chemicals to avoid exposure.

FMLA in the Time of Corona GABRIELE AMERSBACH

‘‘T

employers to take unpaid leave time in specific situations, with a guarantee that they could return to the same or an “equivalent” job, with the same pay and benefits.

Specifically, the traditional FMLA benefit applies to: •T he birth of a son or daughter or placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care •T he need to care for a spouse, son, daughter, or parent who has a serious health condition •A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job

• For any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that a spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a military member on covered active duty or call to covered active duty status Employers who must comply have 50 or more employees or are public agencies, including local, state, or federal government agencies and all public or private elementary or secondary schools, regardless of the number of employees employed.

For the employee to qualify for the FMLA benefit, he or she must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months, with at least 1,250 hours of service during

that 12-month period immediately preceding the leave.

Airline flight crews and returning military members have special FMLA rules.

Under some circumstances, employees may take FMLA leave in separate blocks of time or by reducing the time the employee works each day or week for a single qualifying reason.

Speaker MacNett points out that while the FMLA does not fund or require employee compensation during FMLA leave, some companies offer partial pay or allow the employee to apply accrued paid leave, such as sick or vacation leave, to cover some or all of the FMLA leave period.

BUSINESSWomanPA.com

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Wellness

hings keep changing right now,” says Kathy Speaker MacNett, a managing member of SkarlatosZonarich LLC, located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “It’s hard to say where we’ll end up.”

Speaker MacNett is well versed in the changing regulations around the Family Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, which has been in place since 1993.

Her law practice focuses on labor-relation matters and the representation of employers before federal and state administrative agencies and courts on a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including the FMLA. Her understanding of labor issues is also bolstered by her work not only as research director to the Labor Relations Committee in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and as assistant counsel to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, but also in laborrelated matters gained in previous employment positions.

With her breadth of experience, she is able to provide perspective on the changing face of FMLA. “By the early ’90s, with more women in the workplace, companies realized there was strain,” says Speaker MacNett. “More effort was necessary to attempt to balance the work and private lives of women.”

Women need personal time after a birth, adoption, or foster care placement, “and it often falls to women to take care of an ailing spouse, parent, or child,” she adds.

Finally, late in 1993, Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act, which entitles eligible employees (men and women) of covered

FMLA Expanded during the Crisis With the coronavirus, “Everything is changing so fast,” says Speaker MacNett.

Since so many families now have to care for children who would normally be in school, Congress signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) into law on March 18. The act requires specific employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for reasons related to COVID-19.

Employees with larger companies usually have corporate policies or union contracts that address the need for family leave.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, businesses with fewer than 50 employees may qualify for exemption from the requirement to provide leave due to school closings or childcare unavailability if these leave requirements “jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern.”

Speaker MacNett explains that

the FFCRA provides two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay for employees who have worked at least 30 days for the company under the following circumstances: • I f the employee is unable to work because he or she is quarantined and/or is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis • I f the employee is caring for an individual subject to quarantine or is caring for a child under 18 at home because of closed schools or daycare centers In addition, the employee who has been employed for at least 30 days and has a child at home may be eligible for an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay.

These provisions apply from the effective date through Dec. 31, 2020.

Despite these benefits, Speaker MacNett notes that some

employees may find unemployment compensation more beneficial: The government has added a $600 bonus to the weekly unemployment benefit, as part of the $2 trillion stimulus package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed March 27.

On top of expanded unemployment benefits, CARES also provides small businesses with advantageous loans and tax breaks to pay payroll, utility, mortgage, and other costs necessary to stay in business.

Speaker MacNett points out that despite these supports, smaller companies may face internal tensions.

“On one hand, employees have to be paid and given time off,” she said. “On the other hand, you have to keep up operations, especially if you are providing ‘essential’ services.”

She concludes that a lot of details must still be worked out — both by the government, businesses, and individuals accessing the new

federal programs, loans, and funding options.

“You can’t double dip, and there’s a lot of opportunity for fraud,” says Speaker MacNett. “It’s impossible to audit all of these programs.”

What she is certain about is that these temporary programs will have a long-term impact on the FMLA. As government and companies recognize the stressors on families in the time of corona, they are coming to understand that employees may need supports during other times of crisis as well.

“I see these changes in the FMLA as an initial step,” Speaker MacNett says. “Eventually, all FMLA leave may be paid.”

• Kathy Speaker MacNett is a labor relations attorney and managing member of the Harrisburg law firm of SkarlatosZonarich. Previous positions also include shareholder with the Harrisburg office of Buchanan Ingersoll, P.C. and with the law firm of Baskin, Flaherty, Elliott & Beren.

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Information Kit!

Meet and

Greet

5th Wednesday Networking Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Held ONLY 5th Wednesdays of the year Rotating location – West Shore Area 30 S. Main St., Mechanicsburg Mitzi Jones mhjsunshine@aol.com American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) Camelot Chapter 6 p.m.

3rd Monday of the month The Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center, Camp Hill Marianne Troy, President 717.802.5622 mariannetroy@gmail.com www.abwa.org/chapter/camelot-chapter Lancaster Area Express Network 7:15 – 9 a.m.

3rd Wednesday of the month Lancaster Country Club 1466 New Holland Pike, Lancaster Amy Winslow-Weiss www.laen-abwa.org Lebanon Valley Chapter 6 p.m.

4th Wednesday of the month Hebron Fire Hall 701 E. Walnut St., Lebanon Penny Donmoyer 717.383.6969 www.abwalebanonpa.com Penn Square Chapter 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.

1st Thursday of the month Hamilton Club 106 E. Orange St., Lancaster Laurie Bodisch, President 717.571.8567 abwapennsquare@gmail.com www.abwapennsquare.org Yellow Breeches Chapter 6 p.m.

4th Wednesday of the month Comfort Suites 10 S. Hanover St., Carlisle Kerina DeMeester kerina1011@gmail.com

Executive Women International Harrisburg Chapter 5:30 p.m.

3rd Thursday of the month Rotating location Julie Young 717.713.7255 www.ewiharrisburg.org

International Association of Administrative Professionals Capital Region of Pennsylvania LAN Meeting locations vary Pam Newbaum, CAP-OM, LAN Director 717.782.5787 pneubaum@pinnaclehealth.org www.iaap-harrisburg-pa.org Pennsylvania Public Relations Society 5:30 p.m.

Last Thursday of the month Larissa Bedrick, President pprshbg@gmail.com www.pprs-hbg.org Shippensburg Women’s Area Networking (SWAN) Noon 1st Wednesday of the month Rotating location Lisa Mack, President shipswan@yahoo.com www.facebook.com/shipswan Women’s Business Center Organization (WBCO) – A program of the York County Economic Alliance 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

2nd Tuesday of the month September through May Heritage Hills Golf Resort & Conference Center Windows Ballroom (next to Oak Restaurant) 2700 Mount Rose Ave., York For more information on registering or membership, contact Sully Pinos at spinos@ycea-pa.org Women’s Capital Area Networking (WeCAN) 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

3rd Wednesday of the month Radisson Hotel 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill Abeer Allen, President info@wecanconnect.org www.wecanconnect.org Women’s Network of York 11:30 a.m.

3rd Tuesday of the month White Rose at Bridgewater 601 Chestnut Hill Road, York Theresa LaCesa, President womensnetworkofyork.com www.facebook.com/wnyork

Watch

Bobbie Ford has been hired as the new assistant vice

president of member services for First Capital Federal Credit Union. Ford brings a wealth of knowledge to First Capital, having been in banking for the past 17 years. She is also very active in the community.

Kelli Peyton joins Mowery Construction as senior project

manager. Peyton received her degree in architectural engineering from Penn State University and has an impressive history serving in a variety of roles in the construction industry.

Ashley Zimmerman joins Mowery Construction as director of business development. Zimmerman received a degree in marketing from York College of Pennsylvania and has a strong background in business development.

Celebrate your achievements!

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BusinessWoman magazine would love to let the world know!

Upload your picture(s) and information at: businesswomanpa.com/career-moves-achievements Email your announcements of career advancements and professional new hires to crupp@onlinepub.com.

Photos should be saved as a tiff, jpeg, pdf or eps at 300 dpi. Mail to: BUSINESSWOMAN, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512. Photos sent through mail will not be returned. Please – no duplicate releases.

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Connections

Central PA Association for Female Executives (CPAFE) 1st Wednesday of each month Refer to website for the meeting location Lori Zimmerman, President 717.648.0766 www.cpafe.org

Insurance Professionals of Lancaster County (IPLC) 5:45 p.m.

3rd Tuesday of the month, Sept. – May Heritage Hotel 500 Centerville Road, Lancaster Krista Reed, Treasurer kristamariereed@gmail.com www.internationalinsuranceprofessionals.org

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