The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) went into effect on April 1, 2020 and will require private and government health plans to provide coverage for COVID-19 testing and other services at no cost to the individual. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour division recently published guidance for workers and employers to help explain the expanded ‘paid sick leave’ and ‘expanded family and medical leave’ provisions within the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The CARES Act was created to support this effort.

What is the CARES Act?

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the “CARES Act” was created as a supplemental piece of legislation that provides additional relief for individuals and businesses that have been negatively impacted by the outbreak. The CARES Act has opened up access to unemployment benefits to groups of people that had previously been ineligible. Among the groups that will benefit from the Act are “gig economy” workers like ride-share drivers and food delivery workers, independent contractors and freelancers, and part-time employees who have lost employment due to circumstances surrounding COVID-19. The Act also covers people who had to stop working to care for their family.

Learn more:

The CARES Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/748

Our explanation of paid sick leave and expanded benefits: https://www.boongroup.com/blog/dol-publishes-qa-on-families-first-coronavirus-response-act/

Additional information regarding COVID-19 and the workplace: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic

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