Many Employers Must Offer Paid Leave Under Coronavirus ...

Many Employers Must Offer Paid Leave Under Coronavirus Relief Law · Has been ordered by the government to quarantine or isolate because of COVID- ... EmploymentLaw ManyEmployersMustOfferPaidLeaveUnderCoronavirusReliefLaw [email protected] March19,2020 LIKE SAVE PRINT EMAIL   ReusePermissions Membersmaydownloadonecopyofoursampleformsandtemplatesforyourpersonalusewithinyourorganization.Pleasenotethatallsuchformsandpoliciesshouldbereviewedbyyourlegalcounselforcompliancewithapplicablelaw,andshouldbemodifiedtosuityourorganization’sculture,industry,andpractices.Neithermembersnornon-membersmayreproducesuchsamplesinanyotherway(e.g.,torepublishinabookoruseforacommercialpurpose)withoutSHRM’spermission.Torequestpermissionforspecificitems,clickonthe“reusepermissions”buttononthepagewhereyoufindtheitem. OK ImageCaption PageContentAnewfederallawwillprovidepaidleavetoemployeeswhomissworkforcertaincoronavirus-relatedreasons.AswewaitonguidanceandinterpretationfromtheDepartmentofLabor,employerscanusethefollowingtoprepare. TheFamiliesFirstCoronavirusResponseAct(H.R.6201),whichwassignedintolawonMarch18,willprovidepaidemergencyfamilyleaveinlimitedcircumstances,aswellaspaidsickleaveforpeopleaffectedbyCOVID-19,therespiratorydiseasecausedbythecoronavirus.Ingeneral,theemergencypaid-leaveprovisionsinthelegislationapplytobusinesseswithfewerthan500employees,buttheremaybesomeexceptionsavailableforsmallbusinessesandcompaniesthatemployhealthcareworkers.TheseprovisionstakeeffectApril1 andexpireonDec.31."Employersshouldusethelead-uptimetoreviewandrevisetheir[FamilyandMedicalLeaveAct(FMLA)] andsickleavepolicieswiththehelpofknowledgeableemploymentcounsel,"saidEsraHudson,anattorneywithManattinLosAngeles."Changesshouldbepromptlycommunicatedtoemployeesinwritinginasimpleformat,suchasquestionandanswer."PaidFamilyLeave Relatedresources COVID-19GovernmentResponseandResources SHRM'sIn-DepthAnalysisoftheemergencyFamiliesFirstResponsetoCoronavirusAct FAQs:TheFamiliesFirstCoronavirusResponseAct(H.R.6201)ThelegislationupdatestheFMLA toprovide workerswithupto12weeksofjob-protectedleavewhentheycan'twork—eitheronsiteorremotely—becausetheirminorson'sordaughter'sschoolorchildcareserviceisclosedduetoapublichealthemergency.TheFMLAdefines"sonordaughter"asabiological,adopted orfosterchild;astepchild;alegalward;orachildofapersontakingtheplaceofaparent. Thefirst10daysofleavecanbeunpaid. "Anemployeecanopttosubstituteaccruedvacation,personalorsickleaveduringthistime,butanemployermaynotrequireanemployeetodoso,"explainedJimParettiandMichaelLotito,attorneyswithLittlerinWashington,D.C.,andSacramento,Calif.,respectively. Fortheother10weeks,eligibleworkersmustreceivetwo-thirdsoftheirregularrateofpay,whichwill becappedat$200aday(and$10,000total).{SHRMmembers-onlyHRQ&A: HowdoestheFamiliesFirstCoronavirusResponseAct(H.R.6201)impactemployers?]"Foremployeeswithvariablehourseachweek,paidleavewouldbeequaltotheaveragenumberofhoursworkedperdayovertheprevioussixmonths,"saidLindaJackson,anattorneywithArentFoxinWashington,D.C.ScottWitlin,anattorneywithBarnes&ThornburginLosAngeles,notedthattheeligibilitystandardsaremuchdifferentthanunderregularFMLAprovisions.Workerswhohavebeenonthepayrollforatleast30calendardayswillbeeligiblefortheemergencypaidfamilyleavebenefits.PaidSickLeaveUnderthebill,manyemployerswillhavetoprovideupto80hoursofpaid-sick-leavebenefitsifanemployee:HasbeenorderedbythegovernmenttoquarantineorisolatebecauseofCOVID-19.Hasbeenadvisedbyahealthcareprovidertoself-quarantinebecauseofCOVID-19.HassymptomsofCOVID-19andisseekingamedicaldiagnosis.Iscaringforsomeonewhoissubjecttoagovernmentquarantineorisolationorderorhasbeenadvisedbyahealthcareprovidertoquarantineorself-isolate.NeedstocareforasonordaughterwhoseschoolorchildcareserviceisclosedduetoCOVID-19precautions.Isexperiencingsubstantiallysimilarconditionsasspecifiedbythesecretaryofhealthandhumanservices,inconsultationwiththesecretariesoflaborandtreasury. Notethatpaid-sick-leavebenefitsarenowavailabletoemployeeswhomustcareforanyindividual,Hudsonsaid.Thisissubstantiallybroaderthanapriorversionoftheproposedlegislationwhichwaslimitedtofamilymembers.Paidsickleavemustbepaidattheemployee'sregularrateofpay,orminimumwage,whicheverisgreater,forleavetakenforreasons1-3above. Employeestakingleaveforreasons4-6maybecompensatedattwo-thirdstheir regularrateofpay,orminimumwage,whicheverisgreater.Part-timeemployeesareeligibletotakethenumberofhourstheywouldnormallyworkduringatwo-weekperiod.Employersshouldalsonotethattheycannot:Requireanemployeetouseotherpaidleavebeforeusingthepaidsicktimeprovidedinthenewlegislation.Requireanemployeetofindareplacementtocoverhisorherscheduledworkhours.Retaliateagainstanyemployeewhotakesleaveinaccordancewiththeact.Retaliateagainstanemployeewhofilesacomplaintorparticipatesinaproceedingrelatedtotheact—includingaproceedingthatseekstoenforcetheact.Paid-sick-leavebenefitswillbeimmediatelyavailablewhenthelawtakeseffect,regardlessofhowlongtheworkerhasbeenemployed."Thesebenefitsarealsosubjecttostatutorycapsperemployee,dependinguponqualifyingreasonsfortheleave,andthereforeemployersshouldtrackthesetotakeadvantageofthetaxcreditsassociatedwiththesenewformsofleave,"Hudsonsaid.Underthelegislation,paidsickleaveis limitedto$511aday(and$5,110total)foraworker'sowncareand$200aday(and$2,000total)whentheemployeeiscaringforsomeoneelse.Anemployercanrequiretheworkertofollowreasonablenoticeprocedurestocontinuereceivingthebenefitafterthefirstworkdaythatanemployeereceivespaidsicktimeundertheact.ExceptionsforSomeEmployers"Forlargeremployerswith500employeesormore,thereisnochange,"Witlinsaid."Theyareexempt."Bigbusinessesmayfeelpressure,however,tocoversuchleaveontheirown."Evenwithoutthepressure,Ithinktheywillstepuptotheplate,"Witlinnoted.TreasurySecretaryStevenMnuchin hadsaidthat"bigcompaniescanaffordthesethings."AndU.S.HouseSpeakerNancyPelosi wroteonTwitterduringthebill'snegotiations,"Idon'tsupportU.S.taxpayermoneysubsidizingcorporationstoprovidebenefitstoworkersthattheyshouldalreadybeproviding." Thelegislationallowsthesecretaryoflabortoexcludehealthcareprovidersandemergencyrespondersfromthedefinitionofemployeeswhoareallowedtotakeleave.Additionally,employerswithfewerthan50workerscanaskthesecretaryoflaborforanexemptionfromprovidingpaidfamilyandmedicalleaveandpaidsickleaveifit"wouldjeopardizetheviabilityofthebusiness."TheemergencyFMLAleavegenerallyrequiresemployerstoreinstateemployeesinthesamejoboranequivalentpositionwhentheyreturntowork,butthereisanexceptionforemployerswithfewerthan25employeesifthepositionnolongerexistsduetoeconomicconditionsoroperationalchangesthataremadebecauseofthepublichealthemergency."ThebillincludesrefundabletaxcreditsforemployersthatarerequiredtoofferemergencyFMLAorpaidsickleave,includingself-employedindividuals,"ParettiandLotitosaid."Notethatthesecreditsareonlyavailabletothoseemployersthatarerequiredtoofferthesebenefitsunderthebill."EmployerTakeawayThelegislationiscomplexandwasputtogetherquickly."Noonecanbeanexpertonthisnewlawanditsintricateprovisions,"notedJasonReisman,anattorneywithBlankRomeinPhiladelphia."So,communicateearlyandoften." Ifemployersaren'tclearaboutwhattodo,Reismansuggestedthattheysayso:"'Wearereviewingthenewlawanditsprovisions,asourgoalistodoeverythingwecantotrytoprotectourworkersandensureweallremainhealthywhenthingsreturntonormal.'"Communicationisimportantandcanbesoothing,hesaid. "But,thinkbeforeyouspeak.Wordsdomatter."Reismansuggestedthatcoveredemployersputtogetherandissuetoworkersawrittenpolicyoroutlinedescribingthenewrequiredbenefits,detailingwhatthebenefitsare,anyeligibilitycriteria,howtheycanbeused,andtheinterplaywithotheravailablebenefits,suchaspaidtimeoff,sickleaveandvacationtime. "Itisimportanttostayalertforupdatesandguidance,whichisexpectedprimarilytocomefromtheU.S.DepartmentofLaboroverthenexttwoweeks,"hesaid.  CommunicableDiseases PaidLeave LIKE SAVE PRINT EMAIL   ReusePermissions Membersmaydownloadonecopyofoursampleformsandtemplatesforyourpersonalusewithinyourorganization.Pleasenotethatallsuchformsandpoliciesshouldbereviewedbyyourlegalcounselforcompliancewithapplicablelaw,andshouldbemodifiedtosuityourorganization’sculture,industry,andpractices.Neithermembersnornon-membersmayreproducesuchsamplesinanyotherway(e.g.,torepublishinabookoruseforacommercialpurpose)withoutSHRM’spermission.Torequestpermissionforspecificitems,clickonthe“reusepermissions”buttononthepagewhereyoufindtheitem. 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