Department of Labor tackles questions about pandemic-related family leave

The Department of Labor has given some additional answers about how employers can handle employee leave taken under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The DOL provided the answers as part of its responses to a list of more than 100 questions about the law.

In the answer to one of the latest questions, the Department of Labor explained that employers are not required to provide employees with leave under the act after Dec. 31, 2020 even if that worker didn’t use all of the leave that was available last year. Employers that continue to voluntarily provide sick and family leave can receive tax credits for any leave taken until March 31, 2021.

In answering another question, the DOL says that employees have to compensate worker who took the pandemic-related family leave before Dec. 31, 2020. If an employer doesn’t pay them for that leave, those workers can file a complaint with federal labor officials.