COVID info update

Communications from the President –

You should have received the City ‘s revised and updated COVID-19 Leave Policy, effective May 1, 2021.

There are several changes worth noting, some of which are below and others are highlighted in red in the policy itself.

• The City is voluntarily adopting the Emergency Paid Sick Leave of the FFCRA, as expanded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
  * Notably, COVID-19 immunizations and recovery from immunizations are now covered:
      – Additionally, this benefit is available retroactively to April 1, 2021;
      – Employees may be required to demonstrate they received a vaccine in order to be eligible for the benefit.
• All employees receive a new 80 hours of leave beginning May 1, 2021, despite prior usage:
  * Consistent with the prior version of FFCRA, the new 80 hours is a total for all conditions combined, and not for each condition;
  * The only caveat is for employees that ask for retroactive vaccine leave. That will apply towards the 80 hours of new leave.
• The City is not extending Expanded FMLA for Childcare (reason #5):
  * Employees receiving childcare leave now will be able to use EFMLEA through April 30, 2021;
  * Beginning May 1, 2021, employees requesting childcare leave may use the new bank of 80 hours under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave.
• The City is maintaining Supplemental Paid Sick leave for at work exposures.
• The Policy will expire September 30, 2021