Families First Coronavirus Response Act

Posted March 23, 2020

An emergency bill was signed into law on Wednesday, March 18th, and will go into effect on April 1, 2020. This law covers paid sick leave and expanded FMLA related to COVID-19 for companies under 500 employees.

The Department of Labor has posted information at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcraemployer-paid-leave explaining the 6 qualifiers for paying 80 hours of sick leave if an employee is unable to work or telework. An additional 10 weeks of partially paid leave may also be available to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed related to COVID-19.

The Secretary of Labor will be drafting a model notice that employers are required to post to explain an employee’s right to paid sick leave.

Payroll tax credits will be available to help employers recoup the cost of this paid leave.