The U.S. Department of Labor has issued guidance, FAQs, and a poster further explaining the benefits and responsibilities under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which provides paid sick leave and family leave for employees impacted by COVID-19. This information can be found on the DOL’s website.
New Jersey’s COVID-19 Sick Leave Response
In addition, on March 25, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed S2304 into law to expand the State’s Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) and Family Leave Insurance (FLI) programs to provide more workers with access to paid leave benefits during public health emergencies.
S2304 expands the law’s definition of a “serious health condition” to allow individuals access to TDI and FLI benefits during a public health emergency if they must take time off of work because they are diagnosed with or suspected of exposure to a communicable disease or to take care of a family member diagnosed with or suspected of exposure to a communicable disease. The bill also expands New Jersey’s earned sick leave law to permit the use of earned sick time for isolation or quarantine recommended or ordered by a provider or public health official as a result of suspected exposure to a communicable disease, or to care for a family member under recommended or ordered isolation or quarantine.
We will provide more information on these important laws in future posts. If you have any questions about this post or any other related matters, please feel free to contact me at ptcollins@norris-law.com.
Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
For more information on the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and other employment laws impacted by COVID-19, visit the Norris McLaughlin YouTube channel to view the webinar, “What the Family First Act Means for You and Your Business,” I presented this morning, or check out our Coronavirus Thought Leadership Connection for other topics related to COVID-19.