U.S. DOL Releases Online Tool to Help Employees Determine Paid Sick Leave Eligibility Due to Coronavirus

Posted by: Karen Booher on July 5th, 2020

The U.S. Department of Labor recently launched an interactive online tool for employees to help them determine their eligibility for sick leave due to coronavirus. The tool guides the employee through a series of questions to learn if the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) apply to their employer.

If the tool finds that the paid leave provisions do apply to their employer, it will then help them determine whether they qualify for either paid sick leave or extended family and medical leave under that law.

The FFCRA requires certain employers to provide employees with up to two weeks of additional sick leave if they are unable to work or telework due to COVID-19 symptoms or a diagnosis. This also extends to employees who have been advised to self-quarantine by a healthcare provider or who are seeking a diagnosis for COVID-19 symptoms.

Paid sick leave is also available for employees who are caring for someone who is in self-quarantine or has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Under the FFCRA, up to 10 additional weeks of expanded family and medical leave is available for employees who have to miss work to care for their children due to COVID-19 related school closures.

The leave guaranteed under the FFCRA isn’t guaranteed for every employee, as not every employer is beholden to the act. The new online tool from the Department of Labor will help employees understand what rights they have under the new law and how to advocate for themselves in the workplace.

The Department of Labor has stated that an online tool for employers to determine their status under the FFCRA is in development and will be released soon.

Source:

• “U.S. Department of Labor Announces Online Tool to Help Workers Determine Eligibility for Paid Sick Leave Due to Coronavirus.” S. Department of Labor, 23 June 2020.