HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Presentation 01/12/2021- Extend FFCRA PolicyExtend Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
Leave Benefits
Background
•March 13, 2020 -the United States government declared a
National Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic
•March 17, 2020 -Council adopted Resolution No. 2020-029,
approving a temporary personnel policy regarding employee
leave and telework during the COVID-19 pandemic
•Resolution authorized the Town Manager to implement further
revisions to the temporary policy as necessary in response to
the evolving nature of the emergency
Background
•March 18, 2020 -the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
(FFCRA) was signed into law
•Provides protected leave under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave
Act (EPSLA) and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave
Expansion Act (EFMLEA) to assist employees during the
Coronavirus pandemic
•Effective April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
Background
•April 1, 2020 -Town Manager implemented an Addendum to
Temporary Personnel Policy Regarding Employee Leave and
Telecommuting, Temporary Personnel Policy -Families First
Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
Background
•August 18, 2020 –The Council adopted Resolution 2020-089
approving and ratifying the Temporary Personnel Policy -
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
•The Temporary Personnel Policy approved by the Council
expired on December 31, 2020 to mirror the expiration date set
by the FFCRA
Background
•January 1, 2021 –Employers may voluntarily provide
emergency paid sick leave or emergency paid FML as provided
under FFCRA, but it is no longer required
•Town employees continue to be impacted by COVID-19, due to
illness or required quarantines, and due to school and childcare
closures.
Background
•To bridge the gap between FFCRA expiration date of December
31, 2020 the first Council meeting in 2021, The Town Manager
implemented a revised Temporary Personnel Policy extending
the benefits of FFCRA through tonight’s meeting date
•The proposed revisions to the Temporary Personnel Policy –
FFCRA will extend the leave benefits provided to Town
employees through March 31, 2021.
Emergency Paid Sick Leave
•Benefit
Up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave when employee is unable to
work or telework for any of the qualifying reasons
•Qualifying Reasons for Emergency Paid Sick Leave
The employee is subject to a quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-
19 or is subject to any order from the government requiring the employee
not to leave the employee’s residence.
The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-
quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19.
The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a
medical diagnosis.
Emergency Paid Sick Leave
Qualifying Reasons for Emergency Paid Sick Leave (Cont’d)
The employee is caring for an individual who is subject to an order as
described in the previous slide or for an individual who has been advised as
described in the previous slide.
The employee is caring for their son or daughter if the school or place of
care of the son or daughter has been closed, or the child care provider of
the son or daughter is unavailable due to COVID-19 precautions.
The employee is experiencing any other substantially similar condition as
specified by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
(HHS).
Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL)
Benefit
For qualifying reasons related to employee’s own condition,
emergency paid sick leave is compensated at the same hourly rate
as the employee normally earns during hours worked
For qualifying reasons related to caring for another, childcare
issues, or other similar circumstance as determined by HHS,
emergency paid sick leave is compensated at 2/3 employee’s
normal pay
Emergency Family and Medical Leave
Benefit
All Town employees who have been employed at least 30 calendar
days are eligible for up to 12 weeks of emergency Family and Medical
Leave until March 31, 2021
Leave counts toward normal FMLA benefit of 12 weeks
Qualifying Reasons for Emergency Family and Medical Leave
The employee is unable to work or telework due to a need to care for their
child whose school or place of care has been closed, or whose child care
provider is unavailable due to COVID -19
Decision Points
Allow Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) benefits
to be extended to eligible employees through March 31, 2021,
without the allocation of 80 additional hours for the
emergency paid sick leave, and extend the emergency family
medical leave through March 31, 2021
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
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