Month: March 2020

The FDA has announced it will temporarily suspend portions of the federal veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) requirements in order to make it easier for vets to adopt telemedicine during the COVD-19 crisis.

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Purpose

To comply with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and to assist employees affected by the COVID-19 outbreak with job-protected leave and emergency paid sick leave. This policy will be in effect from April 2, 2020, until December 31, 2020. Our existing leave policy still applies to all other reasons for leave outside of this policy.

Expanded FMLA Leave

Employee Eligibility

All employees who have been employed with [Company Name] for at least 30 days.

Reason for Leave

Eligible employees who are unable to work (or telework) due to a need to care for their child when the school or place of care has been closed, or the regular childcare provider is unavailable due to a public health emergency with respect to COVID-19.

“Child”  means a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing in loco parentis, who is-

(A) under 18 years of age; or

(B) 18 years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.

“Childcare provider” means a provider who receives compensation for providing childcare services on a regular basis, including:

• a center-based childcare provider
• a group home childcare provider
• a family childcare provider (one individual who provides childcare services for fewer than 24 hours per day, as the sole caregiver, and in a private residence)
• other licensed provider of childcare services for compensation
• a childcare provider that is 18 years of age or older who provides childcare services to children who are either the grandchild, great grandchild, sibling (if such provider lives in a separate residence), niece, or nephew of such provider, at the direction of the parent.

“School” means an elementary or secondary school.

Duration of Leave

Employees will have up to 12 weeks of leave to use from April 2, 2020, through December 31, 2020, for the purposes stated above.

Pay During Leave

Leave will be unpaid for the first 10 days of leave; however, employees may use any accrued paid vacation, sick or personal leave during this time. The employee may also elect to use the paid leave provided under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, as further explained below. After the first 10 days, leave will be paid at two-thirds of an employee’s regular rate of pay for the number of hours the employee would otherwise be scheduled to work. Pay will not exceed $200 per day and $10,000 in total. Any unused portion of this pay will not carry over to the next year.

For employees with varying hours, one of two methods for computing the number of hours paid will be used:

• The average number of hours that the employee was scheduled per day over the 6-month period ending on the date on which the employee takes leave, including hours for which the employee took leave of any type. Or,
• If the employee has worked less than 6 months, the expected number of hours to be scheduled per day at the time of hire.

Employee Status and Benefits During Leave

While an employee is on leave, the company will continue the employee’s health benefits during the leave period at the same level and under the same conditions as if the employee had continued to work. While on paid leave, the employer will continue to make payroll deductions to collect the employee’s share of the premium. During any unpaid portions of leave, the employee must continue to make this payment.

If the employee contributes to a life insurance or disability plan, the employer will continue making payroll deductions while the employee is on paid leave. During any portion of unpaid leave, the employee may request continuation of such benefits and pay his or her portion of the premiums, or the employer may elect to maintain such benefits during the leave and pay the employee’s share of the premium payments. If the employee does not continue these payments, the employer may discontinue coverage during the leave. If the employer maintains coverage, the employer may recover the costs incurred for paying the employee’s share of any premiums, whether or not the employee returns to work.

Procedure for Requesting Leave

All employees requesting FMLA leave must provide written notice, where possible, of the need for leave to their manager as soon as practicable. Verbal notice will otherwise be accepted until written notice can be provided. Within five business days after the employee has provided this notice, their manager will complete and provide the employee with any Department of Labor (DOL) required notices.

The notice the employee provides should include a brief statement as to the reason for leave, and if possible, the expected duration.

On a basis that does not discriminate against employees on FMLA leave, the company may require an employee on FMLA leave to report periodically on the employee’s status and intent to return to work.

Employee Status After Leave

Generally, an employee who takes FMLA leave will be able to return to the same position or a position with equivalent status, pay, benefits and other employment terms. If the position the employee held before leave started no longer exists due to economic conditions or operational changes that are made because of the public health emergency, and no equivalent position is available, the employee will not be returned to employment. However, for the period of one year after qualifying leave under this policy ends, [Company Name] will make reasonable efforts to contact the employee if an equivalent position becomes available.

Please contact the Practice Owner or Practice Manager with any questions.

Emergency Paid Sick Leave

Eligibility

All full- and part-time employees unable to work (or telework) due to one of the following reasons for leave:

1. The employee is subject to a federal, state or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID–19.
2. The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID–19.
3. The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID–19 and seeking a medical diagnosis.
4. The employee is caring for an individual who is subject to either number 1 or 2 above.
5. The employee is caring for his or her child if the school or place of care of the child has been closed, or the childcare provider of such child is unavailable, due to COVID–19 precautions.
6. The employee is experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified by the secretary of health and human services in consultation with the secretary of the treasury and the secretary of labor.

“Child”  means a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing in loco parentis, who is-

(A) under 18 years of age; or

(B) 18 years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.

[Note: A definition for “individual” should be provided as soon as more guidance is available.]

Amount of Paid Sick Leave

All eligible full-time employees will have up to 80 hours of paid sick leave available to use for the qualifying reasons above. Eligible part-time employees are entitled to the number of hours worked, on average, over a two-week period.

For employees with varying hours, one of two methods for computing the number of hours paid will be used:

• The average number of hours that the employee was scheduled per day over the 6-month period ending on the date on which the employee takes leave, including hours for which the employee took leave of any type. Or,
• If the employee has worked less than 6 months, the expected number of hours to be scheduled per day at the time of hire.

Rate of Pay

Paid emergency sick leave will be paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay, or minimum wage, whichever is greater, for leave taken for reasons 1-3 above.  Employees taking leave for reasons 4-6 will be compensated at two-thirds their regular rate of pay, or minimum wage, whichever is greater. Pay will not exceed:

• $511 per day and $5,110 in total for leave taken for reasons 1-3 above;
• $200 per day and $2,000 in total for leave taken for reasons 4-6 above.

Interaction with Other Paid Leave

The employee may use emergency paid sick leave under this policy before using any other accrued paid time off for the qualifying reasons stated above.

Employees on expanded FMLA leave under this policy may use emergency paid sick leave during the first 10 days of normally unpaid FMLA leave.

Procedure for Requesting Emergency Paid Sick Leave

Employees must notify their manager of the need and specific reason for leave under this policy. A form will be provided to all employees on the company intranet and/or in a manner accessible to all. Verbal notification will be accepted until practicable to provide written notice.

Once emergency paid sick leave has begun, the employee and his or her manager must determine reasonable procedures for the employee to report periodically on the employee’s status and intent to continue to receive paid sick time.

Carryover

Paid emergency sick leave under this policy will not be provided beyond December 31, 2020. Any unused paid sick leave will not carry over to the next year or be paid out to employees.

Job Protections

No employee who appropriately utilizes emergency paid sick leave under this policy will be discharged, disciplined or discriminated against for work time missed due to this leave.

Please contact the Practice Owner or Practice Manager with any questions.

Right now, nearly all veterinary practice owners and managers are dealing with difficult and stressful decisions. We are working to keep our doors open and minimizing the effect of the COVID-19 virus on our teams. Unfortunately, many of us are having to lay off team members who have families to feed. This is heartbreaking for practice leaders, as many of us have come to love our teams as though they are family. These are difficult times, and it can be easy to become caught up in the emotions that come with these conversations.

You may have heard the term “compassion fatigue” in the past. Essentially, compassion fatigue is a type of secondary stress that occurs from an intense desire to help others. It is characterized by both emotional and physical exhaustion and a decrease in the ability to empathize. Unfortunately, these symptoms usually end up manifesting in ways outside of the primary stressor. This can mean arguing with friends and family, lacking patience for small transgressions, headaches, sleep disturbances, and even a lack of self-care. 

Compassion fatigue has been a hot topic in the veterinary field for some time now, but it is especially important to consider the impact of this condition when we are having to care for our patients, our teams, and our families. Any individual person would struggle with the amount of stress that you, as a practice leader, are carrying in your shoulders.

We wanted to share with you some ways that you can prevent compassion fatigue, and how to combat feeling overwhelmed both at the hospital and at home.

1. Practice self-care: One of the best ways to prevent compassion fatigue is to care for yourself. This can take a large amount of effort, especially if you are a caretaker of others at home. Usually, self-care will involve eating a balanced, nutritious diet, participating in some kind of exercise or conscious movement, maintaining a routine sleep schedule, and honoring your emotional needs (more on this later).
2. Set emotional boundaries: Sometimes we can feel as though our client’s problems and our employee’s problems are our problems. It is important to understand that, while we can do everything we can to help clients and team members, our ability to solve their problems is limited. Be OK with using the tools you have available, and let the client work with their own set of tools. Understand that any cuts you make to team hours are in the interest of keeping the hospital operational so they can be brought back in the future. Don’t try to solve other’s problems, and be sure you are making decisions that will help keep your hospital’s doors open or allow them to re-open when this crisis is over. 
3. Engage in hobbies: This is an important aspect of balance. Be sure that you are taking the time to participate in hobbies (that allow for social distancing, of course). If your hobby is painting, set aside time to paint every day. If your hobby is Netflix and chill with your pup or kitty, be sure you get an hour or two of quality TV time in. It is easy to feel guilty taking time for ourselves, but it is one of the most important steps you can take to defend and protect your emotional state.
4. Use positive coping strategies: Being at home with our families can be enough to drive some of us to drink. Pair that with being at home with our families more than usual, plus the difficult conversations we are having, it can be easy to dive into negative coping strategies such as drinking or other self-harm. While having a drink is OK for most people, be conscious if you are starting to form bad habits.
5. Create work strategies: Be sure you are taking regular breaks, eating and drinking at regular intervals, taking a few minutes to walk around the house, and taking other distractions. Working for 10 hours without a break increases stress and actually decreases productivity. It also increases the chances of mistakes and sets a bad example for your team. It is OK to walk away for a few minutes.

Unfortunately, many people are fearful or uncomfortable discussing how they are feeling because we usually try to distance ourselves from our emotions while at work. However, this is not the time for hiding behind a stiff upper lip. If you are feeling overwhelmed, or if you feel that your emotions are becoming too much, don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional. Your GP can provide you with references if you aren’t sure where to look. Your health insurance company may offer an Employee Assistance Program that you can contact for help as well. There are e-therapy providers as well, which help maintain physical distancing and allow you to seek help on your schedule.

Remember, you are not in this alone. We are all in this together. Every business in the world is affected by the COVID-19 virus and associated laws and regulations. Don’t allow your stress levels to go unchecked. Reach out to those who can help, whether it is a family member, a friend, or mental health professional.