Well, did you like paid sick leave or did you not? I imagine that depends on your perspective. Workers will point to the fact that the government fully reimbursed private employers for the mandatory sick leave.

As employers are well aware, the Families First Act Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was enacted earlier this year to provide paid and partially paid leave to a massive swath of eligible employees working for businesses with fewer than 500 workers. The law provides for up to 80 hours of paid sick leave for employees who are diagnosed with COVID-19, experiencing symptoms and seeking a diagnosis, or advised by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine.

We shouldn’t expect that the Government to ever establish a program without requiring paperwork. So this post concerns exactly that: the paperwork or documentation required to comply with the requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Families First Act), as required by the temporary regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on April 1, 2020 and as modified on April 9, 2020.

Updated on April 24, 2020.

As discussed previously, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Famlies First Act) requires employers to provide paid sick leave and expanded Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time. However, the act provided that the Secretary of Labor could exempt small businesses with fewer than 50 employees when the imposition of these requirements would jeopardize the viability of the business. In my earlier blog posts, I noted that lawyers were unable to identify the criteria for the exemption because the Department of Labor had not yet identified them. Notably, we anticipated regulations from the Department of Labor. However, as of this morning, we have informal “FAQ” guidance on the Department’s website that does give some clarity to the situation.