Dive Brief:
- A manufacturer in Florida has paid $4,352 for allegedly denying paid sick leave to an employee who requested time off to care for their child after the child's school closed due to the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced July 21.
- Martinez Truss Co., DOL said, denied the employee's request for 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave and up to 10 weeks of expanded family medical leave, as required by the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA). It also failed to post a notice of employee rights, as required by the law, the agency said.
- "As America reopens, employers must comply with all of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act's provisions and ensure they provide paid sick leave to their employees as required by law," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Tony Pham in a statement.
Dive Insight:
The FFCRA, which President Donald Trump signed into law in March, made some employees eligible for paid sick time and paid Family and Medical Leave Act leave through the end of the year.
The law generally was aimed at providing time off with pay for those with COVID-19 symptoms or those without childcare because of school closures. The U.S. Department of Labor later said the leave also could be used in the event a child's summer camp was canceled.
Employers are responsible for paying for the leave, although some tax credits were made available. Some small businesses also can claim an exemption from the law.
And while DOL has posters available for employers' to meet the law's notice requirements, employers should have their own communication plan, Jeff Nowak, a shareholder at Littler, previously told HR Dive. "We recommend that employers, whether that's through a more informal communication, or through a revised FMLA and sick leave policy, communicate to employees their rights and benefits under the law," he said.
