Meeting Type: BCC Regular Meeting
Meeting Date: 4/6/2021
Item Status: New
From: Deidra Hanak, Personnel Director
Submitted by: Deidra Hanak, Personnel Director
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ITEM TITLE
Title
Personnel Department - Voluntary Emergency Paid Sick Leave due to American Rescue Plan Act Law
Body
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Discuss the voluntary Emergency Paid Sick Leave due to American Rescue Plan Act law.
End
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Previous Commission action/date: N/A
Background: On April 1, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will take effect. A provision of ARPA is to voluntarily provide an additional 80 hours of Emergency Paid Sick Leave (ESPL) to all full-time employees, and a pro-rated amount for part-time employees, from April 1, 2021 and expiring on September 30, 2021. This leave would be separate from regular sick leave. The Commission needs to decide on whether to voluntarily provide this leave to all employees.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) required certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19 through December 31, 2020. During the December 1, 2020 Regular Meeting, the Commission voted to voluntarily extend the addition of 80 hours of sick leave for newly hired employees through March 31, 2021, and revisit extending the leave another three months at that time.
Generally, the Act 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 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 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 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.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Total cost of recommendation: N/A
Budget line item(s) to be used: N/A
If this is not a budgeted expenditure, does the recommendation create a need for funding? N/A
LEGAL IMPACT
Is legal review necessary for this staff recommendation and related documents?
N/A
Reviewed/approved by: N/A
Additional comments: N/A
ADVERTISING REQUIREMENTS
Is advertising required for this recommendation? N/A
If the proof of publication affidavit is not attached, list the reason: N/A
FOLLOW UP IMPLEMENTATION
For time-sensitive follow up, select deadline date for follow up: N/A
Individual(s) responsible for follow up: N/A
Action required (list contact persons/addresses if documents are to be mailed or emailed): N/A
Additional instructions/notes: N/A