DOL: New Paid Leave Requirements Take Effect April 1

Coronavirus Response Act Applies to Leaves Taken April – Dec. 2020

The paid leave provisions of the recently enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act will go into effect April 1, 2020, according to Q&As released by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Specifically, the guidance states these provisions apply to leave taken between April 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020.

The Act includes two types of paid employee leave for reasons related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic:

• Expanded federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave to provide workers with partially paid leave for child care purposes.
• Up to 80 hours of paid sick leave for specific reasons caused by COVID-19, including the employee’s own COVID-19 illness.

Effective Date

The language of the Act states that the leave provisions take effect “not later than 15 days after the date of enactment.” The Act was passed on March 18, 2020. Sources had interpreted this language to mean the Act would take effect on April 2, 2020. The new guidance from the DOL clarifies that the leave requirements take effect April 1.