COVID-19 Relief Laws Require Paid Employee Leave

As part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, two laws provide workers with paid leave for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The leave benefits are effective from April 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020.

The “Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act” allows 12 weeks of partially compensated FMLA leave to care for a child whose school or child care facility has been closed due to COVID-19. The leave applies only to workers who have been employed by their current employer for 30 days. Special rules apply to employees who are laid off and then rehired for purposes of the 30-day requirement.

The “Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act” requires employers to provide 80 hours of paid sick time to employees in specified circumstances, including:

• • A quarantine or isolation order for the employee or someone the employee is caring for, or medical advice to self-quarantine
• • When the employee has symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking a diagnosis
• • When the employee’s child’s school or child care facility is closed due to COVID-19 related reasons

Employers with 500 employees or more are exempt from the laws, and employers may exclude employees who are health care providers and emergency responders. The legislation also allows for future regulations exempting businesses with fewer than 50 employees from providing leave for child care reasons if the leave would jeopardize the viability of the business. Click here for More

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has changed many aspects of the current

workplace, and hygiene and cleanliness are key topics when creating post-coronavirus

workplace plans. Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), there are actions employers can consider. By taking workplace preparedness steps such

as updating office layouts, encouraging new behaviors and evaluating existing policies,

employers can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of

employees. To get started, employers can review topics on this checklist.

Employee Behaviors YES NO N/A

Are employees practicing social distancing, maintaining a distance of 6

feet or more from each other? 􀀀 􀀀 􀀀

Are employees washing their hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap

and water? 􀀀 􀀀 􀀀

Are employees practicing social distancing in meetings? 􀀀 􀀀 􀀀

Are employees avoiding the use of multi-touch devices, such as shared

computers in meeting rooms? 􀀀 􀀀 􀀀 Read More

Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

STOP THE SPREAD OF GERMS

For more information: www.cdc.gov/COVID19

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19.

Click here to download the COVID-19 Flyer!

This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will update this interim guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available.

CDC is working across the Department of Health and Human Services and across the U.S. government in the public health response to COVID-19. Much is unknown about how the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads. Current knowledge is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses.

CDC Business Sector

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in humans and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people, such as with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person in China and some limited person-to-person transmission has been reported in countries outside China, including the United States. However, respiratory illnesses like seasonal influenza, are currently widespread in many U.S. communities.

The following interim guidance may help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19.

To prevent stigma and discrimination in the workplace, use only the guidance described below to determine risk of COVID-19. Do not make determinations of risk based on race or country of origin, and be sure to maintain confidentiality of people with confirmed COVID-19. There is much more to learn about the transmissibility, severity, and other features of COVID-19 and investigations are ongoing. Updates are available on CDC’s web page at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/covid19.

Recommended strategies for employers to use now:

• Actively encourage sick employees to stay home:
  • Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever (100.4° F [37.8° C] or greater using an oral thermometer), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants). Employees should notify their supervisor and stay home if they are sick.
  • Ensure that your sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health guidance and that employees are aware of these policies.
  • Talk with companies that provide your business with contract or temporary employees about the importance of sick employees staying home and encourage them to develop non-punitive leave policies.
  • Do not require a healthcare provider’s note for employees who are sick with acute respiratory illness to validate their illness or to return to work, as healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely way.
  • Employers should maintain flexible policies that permit employees to stay home to care for a sick family member. Employers should be aware that more employees may need to stay at home to care for sick children or other sick family members than is usual.

Click here to get the booklet!