Federal COVID-19 Paid Leave
March 20, 2020
Yesterday, President Trump signed into law the "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" or "FFCRA" (H.R. 6201). The new law creates two new types of paid leave: (1) Public Health Emergency Leave ("Emergency FMLA") and (2) Emergency Paid Sick Leave ("Emergency PSL").
A few important pieces of information:
Click on the below link to download the FAQ. It provides guidance and information contractors need to know, including:
Yesterday, President Trump signed into law the "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" or "FFCRA" (H.R. 6201). The new law creates two new types of paid leave: (1) Public Health Emergency Leave ("Emergency FMLA") and (2) Emergency Paid Sick Leave ("Emergency PSL").
A few important pieces of information:
- First, the new law applies only to those employers with "fewer than 500 employees." Thus, if you have 500 or more employees, this law does not apply to you.
- Second, the FFCRA's paid leave provisions do not go into effect until "15 days after the date of enactment." This means that these provisions will take effect on April 2, 2020.
- Finally, although the costs of these new requirements will be borne by small to medium size employers, the costs of providing the new paid leaves are designed to be offset by refundable payroll tax credits.
Click on the below link to download the FAQ. It provides guidance and information contractors need to know, including:
- Basic requirements for leave
- The date the paid leave provisions go into effect
- Coverage and eligibility for emergency FMLA
- Coverage and eligibility for emergency PSL
- Exceptions to the requirement
- Employers subject to CBAs
- Layoffs, closures and other issues
- Tax credits and employers with cash-flow issues
