Starting Jan. 1, employers will no longer have to give workers with COVID-19, or those taking care of someone with the virus, two weeks of paid leave.
Congress is letting the coronavirus paid leave guarantee expire at the end of the month without an extension. The $900 billion relief package Congress passed late Monday does extend tax credits for employers offering paid leave until March. That means the federal government will pay for paid sick leave for another three months, but businesses are no longer required to offer it.
In March, Congress guaranteed workers up to two weeks of fully paid sick leave if they contract COVID-19. The program also mandates two weeks of paid leave for those caring for someone required to quarantine, and 10 weeks of emergency child care leave if schools or child care facilities are shut down, paid out at two-thirds of a worker’s regular salary. Employers were given a refundable tax credit to cover the costs of paying out paid sick leave.