With remote work and COVID-19 blurring the lines of how employees judge whether or not to use their sick days, it’s important for employers to stay on top of their sick leave policy and educate their employees on their options.
Paid sick leave is a type of employee leave where employees do not work during a specified time period as a result of sickness or other health-related issues, yet still receive their normal paycheck. Some companies combine their vacation days and sick days into one bucket, so employees can choose how to use their paid days off.
Paid sick leave is considered an employer-provided benefit and not federally mandated, meaning there are no federal legal requirements for employers to offer it to workers. However, some cities and states require that paid sick leave is offered as a benefit for qualified individuals.
Additionally, companies that are subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) are required to provide unpaid sick leave for up to 12 weeks, depending on the medical needs of the employee or their immediate family. Companies subject to this include private employers with at least 50 employees, public agencies (local, state, or Federal government agency, and public/private elementary or secondary schools.
The Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) was passed in March 2020 and made major changes to paid leave requirements to help lessen the burden of the pandemic on employees. According to the Department of Labor, the leave provisions in the FFCRA apply to certain public employers and private employers with less than 500 employees.
This includes two weeks of paid sick leave (up to 80 hours) at their regular pay rate if the employee is unable to work due to COVID-19 symptoms and/or quarantine. It also requires covered employers to provide two weeks of paid sick leave at two-thirds regular rate of pay if the employee is unable to work due to a “bona fide need to care for an individual subject to quarantine.” This is especially important for employees who cannot work remotely but need to stay home due to illness.
With so many workforces still operating remotely, employees may be reevaluating what it really means to call in sick if they work from home. Sick leave policies help employees maintain personal health and work-life balance—especially during a year of unprecedented stress and uncertainty—which ultimately helps them stay productive at work.
To help your employees understand their sick leave options, consider the following: