Employee Vacations to Hotspots?
Vacation season is here. After months of quarantine, many people are eager to travel during their time off. That said, if employees vacation to a known COVID-19 hotspot, are they still eligible for the two weeks of paid leave during quarantine, as per the FFCRA? Well, it depends.
Remind us again...when do we need to quarantine?
After travelling to a known COVID-19 hotspot, everyone should quarantine for two weeks to reduce potential exposure to those in their community. That said, some states have executive orders REQUIRING quarantine post-travel, and some do not. Check with your state governor's website to learn more. (In Michigan, a two week quarantine after travel is NOT required by executive order.)
Our state has an executive order for quarantine post-travel:
If your company (or the company you work for) has between 50 and 500 employees, then the Emergency Paid Leave from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) applies to you. If your state has an executive order for quarantine, then the emergency two weeks sick pay must be paid to the employee, regardless of their reason for travel.
Important to note:
Employers cannot require accrued sick time/PTO to be used before the FFCRA emergency leave begins.
Full time employees are entitled to 80 hours at full rate for full time employees, to the maximum of $511 per day or a total of $5,110.
Employers cannot require employees taking sick leave to cover their hours/shift.
Our state has no executive order for quarantine post-travel:
If your company (or the company you work for) has between 50 and 500 employees, then the Emergency Paid Leave from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) applies to you. If your state doesn't have executive order for quarantine, then the emergency two weeks sick pay does not need to be paid to the employee unless the employee:
has been advised by a health professional to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID 19
is experiencing symptoms of COVID 19 and seeking medical diagnosis
is caring for an individual who is subject to an isolation order
If you decide to pay your employee regardless of executive orders, please note the paid leave may not be subject to tax credits, as outlined in the FFCRA.
In this scenario, a two week quarantine can legally be omitted altogether. Your team at Edify strongly recommends you evaluate the risks versus benefits of skipping a 14 day quarantine. Everyone is responsible for the health of our community.