On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which includes among its provisions, (i) the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act and (ii) the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, which, on a temporary basis, requires certain employers to provide employees with limited paid, job-protected family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. Both acts go into effect on April 1, 2020, and expire December 31, 2020.
Recently the United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division — the administrative body charged with administering and enforcing the acts — released guidance regarding the scope and requirements of the combined acts, consisting of:
These materials provide a good starting point for an employer seeking to understand the moving-target requirements in managing employee leaves during the pandemic. Employers should also be aware that New York has requirements that must be simultaneously managed.