U.S. Department of Labor issued the following announcement on July 20.
The Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County has paid $1,040 in back wages to an employee after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) determined the employer violated paid sick leave requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
WHD found that the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County wrongfully denied an employee’s request for emergency paid sick leave after the worker’s doctor directed the employee to remain at home due to coronavirus-related concerns. After WHD contacted the employer, they agreed to pay the employee for the sick leave and committed to future FFCRA compliance.
“The Wage and Hour Division is protecting the American workforce during the coronavirus pandemic, and ensuring that workers and employers alike know about the benefits available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Tony Pham, in Miami, Florida. “We encourage employers and employees to contact us to learn about their rights and responsibilities under this new law. We offer many online tools to help employers avoid violations like those found in this investigation.”
The FFCRA helps the U.S. combat and defeat the workplace effects of the coronavirus by giving tax credits to American businesses with fewer than 500 employees either to provide employees with paid leave for the employee’s own health needs or to care for family members. Please visit WHD’s “Quick Benefits Tips” for information about how much leave workers may qualify to use, and the wages employers must pay. The law enables employers to provide paid leave reimbursed by tax credits, while at the same time ensuring that workers are not forced to choose between their paychecks and the public health measures needed to combat the virus.
Original source can be found here.