White House Signs Bill to Provide Paid Leave for Certain Workers
With the Coronavirus affecting every aspect of daily life, it also is raising a seemingly unending series of concerns for employers, including paid sick leave, employee safety, millions of newly-remote workers and more, says a new XpertHR report on coronavirus workplace issues. One of the biggest concerns — paid sick leave—is being addressed by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which takes effect on April 2.
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Prior to the passage of the Coronavirus Response Act, 24% of civilian workers did not have access to paid sick leave, according to BLS data. The new legislation amends the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) with the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLA), which ensures that many more workers are able to access paid leave should they become infected or need to give care, says XpertHR.
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The bill covers all employees who work for an employer with less than 500 employees or who work for a public agency with more than 1 employee. However, the bill contains language allowing the Secretary of Labor to exempt small businesses with fewer than 50 employees from the paid sick leave requirement.
“Nobody really has a playbook for the coronavirus, and it’s moving faster than many companies could prepare for it,” says David Weisenfeld, JD, XpertHR Legal Editor. “In this unprecedented situation, employers need to be flexible and find working solutions.”
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