On Monday, March 16, the House of Representatives went back to the drawing board and made “corrections” to its Emergency Family First Response Act.
The revised bill somewhat decreases the financial burden on small businesses and changes the circumstances under which employers are required to continue to pay their employees for COVID-19 related reasons.
On March 18, the Bill was passed in the Senate without modification, and the President subsequently signed the Bill into law.
Below are our REVISED answers to common questions regarding two important aspects of the legislation that small business owners need to know.
THE EMERGENCY PAID SICK LEAVE ACT
What is the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA)? The EPSLA is a temporary law that applies only to businesses with fewer than 500 employees and mandates up to 10 days of paid leave for full-time and part-time employees that need time off for various coronavirus-related reasons.
How long will the EPSLA be in effect? Unless it is later extended, the EPSLA will expire on December 31, 2020.
Does the EPSLA apply to all employers? No. The EPSLA only applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees.
Does the EPSLA apply to all employees? Assuming you have fewer than 500 employees, the EPSLA applies to all employees — regardless of whether they are full-time or part-time.
