Massachusetts still requires paid time off for COVID-related reasons
Q Now that the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) paid leave tax credits have expired, how should we respond to an employee with COVID or who comes in close contact with a COVID-positive person?
A The FFCRA and all the voluntary extensions expired on September 30, 2021. As a result, employers with fewer than 500 employees are no longer required under federal law to provide paid leave to employees for various COVID-19-related reasons, including quarantining or experiencing the infection’s symptoms. Some states, however, including Massachusetts, have enacted statutes requiring paid time off for various coronavirus-related reasons.
In Massachusetts, employers must provide the equivalent of one week of paid leave (up to 40 hours and capped at $850 dollars for the time) for various reasons, including but not limited to: