From 1 January, employers are no longer obliged to give employees who become ill with COVID-19 two weeks’ paid leave.
According to Buzzfeed News, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked the extended mandate for paid leave from the $ 900 billion stimulus package passed by Congress earlier this week.
According to the Huffington Post, Democrats wanted to extend the paid leave until the new year, as there is an increase in COVID-19 cases. Yet Republicans felt that renewing the mandate would make it permanent, which they did not want to happen.
In March, Congress passed the CARES Act, which required employers to provide employees with up to two weeks of paid sick leave if they enter into a contract with COVID, and two weeks of paid leave to care for a sick relative. It also allowed employers to use up to 10 weeks of paid family leave if a child’s school or daycare was closed due to coronavirus.
Although the latest stimulus bill does not extend sick or family leave mandates, the bill will still allow companies to subsidize costs with a refundable tax rebate if they provide paid leave until March 31, 2021.
According to CNBC, 87 million workers eligible for sick pay and family leave under the law could be affected.