New Paid Sick Leave And Family Leave Law For Coronavirus

Well, bowl me over. Finally, a somewhat pro-employee law is signed into law, and all it took was a global pandemic. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127) became law on March 18, 2020.

Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion: If you are unable to work (or telework) due to a need for leave to care for your son or daughter under 18 years of age if the school or place of care has been closed, or the child care provider of such son or daughter is unavailable, and your employer has fewer than 500 employees or is a public agency, and you've worked at least 30 calendar days for the employer, then you qualify for up to 12 weeks of FMLA, and your job is legally protected. 

Now don't get me started on why Amazon is exempt and tiny businesses aren't. That's the power of lobbying. But hey, at least it's a start. 

You still have regular FMLA if you need to care for a sick family member, which applies to employers with 50 or more employees in a 75 mile radius of your location and you've worked at least a year. 

Unlike regular FMLA, they have to pay you, not less than two-thirds of your regular pay, up to $200/day and a maximum of $10,000 total. The first 10 days taken may be unpaid, but you may use other paid leave during that period, such as accrued vacation leave, personal leave, or medical or sick leave for unpaid leave. 

Which brings us to . . .

Emergency Paid Sick Leave:  You are entitled to up to two weeks of paid sick leave if you are unable to work or telework because of:

• a quarantine or isolation order
• have been advised by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine
• have symptoms and are seeking a diagnosis

For the above, you get your regular pay up to $511/day and $5,110 maximum.

• are caring for someone with any of the above, are caring for a son or daughter if the school or place of care of the son or daughter has been closed or the child care provider of your son or daughter is unavailable due to COVID-19 precautionsor, or
• if you are 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."

For these, you get two-thirds of your regular pay, up to $200/day and $2,000 maximum.

This applies, again, if your employer has fewer than 500 employees or is a public agency, but there's no minimum period of employment.

Your employer can't demand you find a replacement, they can't make you use other sick or vacation time, and they can't discharge, discipline, or take other discriminatory action against you for taking this leave.

Caveats

If your employer is a health care provider or an emergency responder, they don't have to comply with any of this if they don't want to. The exemption is automatic for the paid sick leave and will be subject to a regulation exempting them for the FMLA. Employers with under 50 employees may also be exempt from the sick leave under some circumstances.

There may be more coming down the road. Some states are enacting more protections. And the federal government is allowing states to expand unemployment compensation at the federal government's expense. Of course, Florida has done nothing so far to help employees. But hey, miracles happen, as is evidenced by this new law. 

Stay safe and stay home if you can!