The new Families First Coronavirus Act went into effect on April 1, 2020 and will continue through December 31, 2020. Employers should not only be aware of the law's key provisions, but know how to stay complaint and provide mandatory notice to employees.
What are the key FFCRA provisions again?
Covered employers (those with fewer than 500 employees) must provide all employees with:
- Two (2) weeks of paid sick leave at the employee's regular rate of pay when the employee is unable to work because the employee is quarantined (pursuant to federal, state or local government order or advice of a health care provider), and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis; or 2 weeks of paid sick leave at 2/3 the employee's regular pay rate because the employee is unable to work because of a bona fide need to care for an individual subject to quarantine, or care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable because of COVID-19.
Please see our prior alert for information about calculating and caps on rates of pay.
In addition, employers must provide any employee that it has employed for at least 30 calendar days with:
- Ten (10) weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave at 2/3 the employee's regular rate of pay where an employee is unable to work (or telework) due to a bona fide need to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed for reasons related to COVID-19.
Small businesses (fewer than 50 employees) may qualify for an exemption from the requirement to provide leave due to school closings if it would jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern.
Paid leave benefits plus the cost of health insurance premiums during leave will be 100% covered by a dollar-for-dollar refundable tax credit available to the employer.
What notice do employers need to provide?
Employers are required to provide notice of the FFCRA to their employees. The FFCRA notice is available on the US DOL website, or here. Employers should post it in a "conspicuous place on the premises" or, if workers are teleworking, email or post it on an internal or external website.
What documents do employers need?
Employees should provide their employer with documentation including: Employee's name; qualifying reason for requesting leave; a statement that the employee is unable to work, including telework, for that qualifying reason; and the date(s) for which leave is requested. Documentation of the reason for the leave is also necessary, including the source of any quarantine or isolation order, the name of the health provider who ordered the employee to quarantine, or the notice of school closing posted on a government, school or day care website. Employers who wish to seek payroll tax credits should retain this documentation in their records.
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