Families First Coronavirus Response Act Leave Rights

Tuesday, March 31, 2020 5:07 PM

The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides a new type of leave for OCCC employees for certain COVID-19 related reasons from April 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. This new law has two components that create leave rights: 1) the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and 2) the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act. Please see the attached employee rights poster created by the Department of Labor.

Generally, the FFCRA provides that employees of covered employers are eligible for:

• Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay where the employee is unable to work (including telework, if applicable) because the employee is quarantined (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis; or
• Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay because the employee is unable to work (including telework, if applicable) because of a bona fide need to care for an individual subject to quarantine (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), or to care for a child (under 18 years of age) whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19, and/or the employee is experiencing a substantially similar condition as specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Labor; and
• Up to an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay where an employee, who has been employed for at least 30 calendar days, is unable to work (including telework, if applicable) due to a bona fide need for leave to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19.

The Department of Labor has created a number of resources regarding FFCRA leave:

Notice Poster

Fact Sheet for Employees

Frequently Asked Questions

Please be aware that FFCRA leave rights are in addition to any leave rights provided by OCCC. Any FFCRA leave must be requested as is practical. To request FFCRA leave, call Jeff Sughru, Benefits Specialist, at 405-682-7808 or Idalia Botello, HR Consultant, at 405-682-7893.  You may also call the Employee Hotline at 405-686-6276, or email employeehotline@occc.edu.  Any questions about FFCRA may be directed to Regina Switzer at 405-682-7890 or rswitzer@occc.edu.