By Tracey I. Levy
The continuation of the payroll tax credits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) through September 30, 2021, with an increased range of qualifying purposes, together with new guidance from the New York State Department of Labor on New York’s own COVID-19 leave requirements, can collectively leave employers in a quandary as to their legal options and obligations. The following table overlays the requirements and eligibility criteria under the state and federal laws. As referenced in the table:
NYS COVID-19 Leave – is leave for a period of up to two weeks based on a government-issued quarantine or isolation order. New York State mandates employers provide up to three periods of covered leave per employee, but the second and third periods must be for a quarantine based on the employee’s own condition and not merely as a precaution due to exposure to others who tested positive for COVID-19 (see our NYS COVID leave blog posting). New York State Short-Term Disability (STD) and Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits are available simultaneously, with no waiting period, to employees of small and medium employers for the otherwise unpaid portion of a period of leave based on being personally subject to a government-issued quarantine or isolation order.
NYS Paid Family Leave benefit – provides payment to care for a child for the duration of a quarantine or isolation period, and for up to 12 weeks of leave per year at the statutory amount ($840.70/week) through the government-mandated NYS PFL program for care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19 where the family member’s sickness meets the PFL definition of a serious health condition.
FFCRA tax credit for sick leave – provides employers who offer paid COVID-19 leave with a tax credit for a total of two weeks, up to a cap of $511 per day for sick leave due to an employee’s own medical condition and a cap of $200 per day for sick leave due to care of someone else. Employees who previously received FFCRA COVID-19 leave in the first year of the pandemic are eligible for up to another two weeks of leave as of April 1, 2021. Note that FFCRA paid leave offered in 2021 is on a voluntary basis and is not mandated, but should be provided consistently to all eligible employees.
FFCRA tax credit for care of a family member – provides employers who offer paid COVID-19 family care leave with a tax credit up to a cap of $200 per day for a total of 12 weeks under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); employees who previously received FFCRA COVID-19 family leave in the first year of the pandemic are eligible for up to another twelve weeks of leave beginning April 1, 2021. Note that FFCRA paid leave offered in 2021 is on a voluntary basis and is not mandated, but should be provided consistently to all eligible employees.
