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Continued COVID Guidance: New OSHA ETS, FFCRA Update, Mask Mandates and Re-Entry following Travel

June 2021 OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard

 More guidance has been issued from OSHA, directed at healthcare industry employers such as hospitals, emergency responders, long term care, etc. The new Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for Covid-19 went into effect June 10, 2021.  You can find a great summary here that also includes a link to the flowchart on OSHA.gov. 

 

June 2021 COVID & FFCRA Update

The FFCRA was mandatory for many employers until December 31 of 2020.  The previous administration extended the paid leave provisions of the FFCRA through March 31, 2021 – however, the extension was no longer mandatory. If employers chose to provide paid leave benefits due to COVID, they were still eligible to receive the tax credit to offset the costs of paying employee leave.  Additionally, President Biden extended the FFCRA provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) through September 30, 2021.  Biden also added some new components of the paid leave, which include:

•    Additional reasons employees can take paid leave
       o    Time spent in order to get the vaccine
       o    Time from work missed due to complications from the vaccine 
•    The 80 hour limit reset on April 1, 2021
       o    Meaning if an employee exhausted their Paid Sick Leave before March 31, 2021 – they are entitled to an                     additional 80 hours 

In addition to the extension of the FFCRA paid leave, Biden included a COBRA subsidy in the ARPA that employers should be aware of.  The COBRA subsidy is available to employees who experience an involuntary termination of employment or a reduction in hours (the reduction in hours is not required to be involuntary). The ARPA does not define ‘involuntary termination of employment’ and the IRS has not provided guidance on this yet.  The COBRA subsidy is available under September 30, 2021 and employers are entitled to an advanceable, refundable tax credit against their Medicare payroll taxes to pay for the coverage during this period of time. 

Compliance Update for Ohio Employers

Per CDC guidelines, those who are fully vaccinated can resume activities that they did prior to the pandemic. In Ohio, DeWine has stated that business may require customers to wear masks if they choose.  Many businesses have opted to allow vaccinated individuals to enter without masks, but still require masks for unvaccinated individuals. 

Additionally, those who are planning to travel out of the country should be aware of current protocol regarding reentry.  The United States is still requiring either a negative COVID test or proof that you had COVID in the past 90 days to reenter the country – having a vaccine card alone is not sufficient for reentry.  Also, the CDC is encouraging international travelers to get tested 3-5 days after reentry, but vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine.  


 

Most Recent

2025-26 Safety Council Rebate Program

Posted By Brandy King
June 05, 2025 Category: General

Along with the new Ohio BWC policy year beginning on July 1, 2025 – one of their most beneficial programs now has an increased ROI for employers. Participating in a local safety council is beneficial not just for the savings – but also the education, networking, and locating resources to aid your internal safety programs. Ohio businesses have until July 31, 2025 to sign on for the 2025-2026 program. Your company can earn a 3% rebate (not to exceed $5000) on ’25-26 policy year premiums by attending 10 in-person safety council meetings. At least eight (8) of these must be attended through the safety council you’re enrolled with, and up to two (2) credits can be earned through attending BWC-sponsored in-person or virtual events, or in-person training from external sources like your TPA or trade organizations and Chambers of Commerce. Remember – to get the 3% rebate, your policy premiums must be current and your most recent True-Up should have been completed on time. This rebate program can be combined with Group Rating, Group Retro and virtually any other BWC program your company participates in. For more information on the Safety Council Program, reach out to us at 440-249-5260 or check out this

A Big Thank You from the Spooner Team!

Posted By Brandy King
June 05, 2025 Category: General

We’d like to sincerely thank every Ohio employer that chose Spooner Medical Administrators, Inc. (SMAI) as their MCO during MCO Open Enrollment last month, as well as those loyal clients who chose to remain with our MCO. SMAI continues to experience sustainable, organic growth, thanks to the partnerships we have with Chambers of Commerce, trade organizations, Associations, and simply by word of mouth. SMAI has grown in both policies assigned and claims managed, and was also one of only four MCOs to see a net growth during Open Enrollment. The team at SMAI is excited to begin building partnerships with the hundreds of new employers that moved to Spooner Medical Administrators this year.   Thanks for putting your faith in us, Ohio businesses! We can’t wait to meet even more new customers when the next Open Enrollment rolls around in

2 Hour Safety Training Deadline for 2024 PY

Posted By Brandy King
June 05, 2025 Category: General

If your company participated in Group Rating or Group Retro during the 2024 policy year (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025) and had a claim during the green year(s), you’re required to complete two hours of safety training by June 30, 2025. Please be sure to complete submit the training certificates to your team at Spooner (or your TPA, if you’re not a Spooner client). If you’re unsure if you need to complete this training, reach out to your client services manager. The training doesn’t have to be completed in person – so there’s still time to meet the requirement by participating in one of BWC’s online courses.  Here are some details on fulfilling the two-hour training requirement, per the Ohio BWC website.    Two-hour Training Options A variety of training sources are available for you to fulfill this requirement. They include the following offered through BWC’s Division of Safety & Hygiene: Education and Training Services Center courses Ohio Safety Congress & Exposition (OSC) safety education sessions Safety council seminars, workshops, or conferences featuring a safety topic that are at least two hours long (Safety council monthly meetings do not qualify.) Guidelines for courses offered through non-BWC training forums The group sponsor, third-party administrator, or an independent source can sponsor a course, provided it meets the two-hour criteria. The topic must be workplace safety rela

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