As you may already know, the Federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic includes expanded Family and Medical Leave benefits for public employees. As our members are public employees (working for a state University), this benefit applies to us. We highlighted the section that we believe already applies to many of our members with children. This benefit is available to all GEO members currently employed, regardless of status as an international student or domestic student.
The benefit includes:
Up to two weeks (80 hours, or a part-time employee’s two-week equivalent) of paid sick leave based on the higher of their regular rate of pay, or the applicable state or Federal minimum wage, paid at:
- 100% for qualifying reasons #1-3 below, up to $511 daily and $5,110 total;
- 2/3 for qualifying reasons #4 and 5 below, up to $200 daily and $2,000 total; and
- Up to 12 weeks of paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave paid at 2/3 for qualifying reason #5 below for up to $200 daily and $12,000 total.
- A part-time employee is eligible for leave for the number of hours that the employee is normally scheduled to work over that period.
Qualifying reasons for this FMLA benefit include:
- being subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19
- been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19
- experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis
- caring for an individual subject to an order described in (1) or self-quarantine as described in (2)
- caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) due to COVID-19 related reasons
Below, please find more details about this benefit, which the University has implemented as of April 1, 2020, and which will be in effect until December 31, 2020.
