IMPORTANT INFORMATION COUNTY OF SAN MATEO FAMILIES FIRST CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT 04-01-2020
The recently enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) requires certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. The provisions of the new law will apply from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
The County of San Mateo is finalizing a policy implementing the FFCRA and circulating it to County labor representatives. It is expected that this policy will be sent for Board approval on April 14, 2020. In the meantime, this leave is currently available to employees who need it for FFCRA covered absences from April 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020.
Please see the link below for the Department of Labor’s notice regarding the provisions of the FFCRA: https://hr.smcgov.org/documents/paid-sick-leave-and-expanded-family-and-medical-leave-under-families-first-coronavirus
Until the County policy is finalized, we encourage all eligible employees in need of such leave to work directly with your department’s payroll specialist.
For employees who need to use sick leave on or after April 1, 2020 for one of the COVID 19 related reasons specified in the FFCRA, you should code your timecard with your existing accrual hours of your choice after informing your department’s payroll specialist.
Once the policy has been adopted, your payroll specialist should swap out your previously used hours for eligible absences with the newly created COVID 19 Emergency Sick Leave hours provided under this law.
**If the employee has no accrued paid leave hours to use, they should inform their department’s payroll specialist and arrangements will be made until the COVID 19 Emergency Sick Leave hours are provided (minus already used hours).
For employees who need to use the COVID 19 expanded FMLA leave (which is only available for employees who need to miss work to care for their child due to school or child care closures) please contact Risk Management to discuss FMLA options by contacting Leila Totah at [email protected] or by phone at (650) 363-7882.
Additional information with links to the County policy will be sent to you once finalized and adopted.
Questions? Contact the Benefits Division at [email protected] or leave a message at 650-363-1919