# Covid - 19 paid leave



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Every year I get sick in Sept. I believe it's allergy related but sometimes it will turn into a cold. Lasting one or two weeks. So I went to work on Monday pretty congested and actually went home early because my nose was running so bad. No fever.
Tuesday morning I'm starting to have a little cough but still no fever and I tell my employer what is going on and maybe I should cancel my service calls for the day.

He tells me to go get tested for covid asap and not come back to work until I test negative, which I understand. So I went right in and got tested. 

Boy swab thing really sucks! lol


Anyways, here's my question. I can't seem to find a definite answer through google.
By federal law, is my employer responsible to pay for my days at home this week without me using up my vacation leave?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I would think that it depends on your contract with your employer. 

I haven't heard anything about federal law with this 

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Utah is a "right to work state" and not all Employers will offer the same thing. Some wont even offer any type of medical plan. (which I think is wrong) 


I have heard that companies can apply for COVID relief from the government in such cases. They need to keep track of the "lost time hours" to apply for re-imbursement for said financial hardship that falls upon the company. I'd ask your HR department for clarification.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I'm pretty sure an employer has to pay an employees wages for being quarantined. 

Then they can get reimbursed for those wages. 

I just can't seem to find where this info. is located.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I think the CARES Act passed by congress requires most employers to provide paid time when employees miss work for Covid related circumstances--quarantine, isolation, etc... I know our organization provides it for all contract and hourly employees. 

Look up Dept. of Labor Families First Coronavirus Response Act to be sure because I don't know if every industry/employer is required or not. 

I hope you recover quickly.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I did find this link.
https://blog.dol.gov/2020/05/11/are-you-eligible-for-covid-19-paid-leave

It seems to me under this section where I underlined, should apply to my situation:

*Paid sick leave* up to two weeks or 80 hours at the employee's regular rate or the minimum wage (whichever is higher),* if one of these scenarios applies:


You're under a government quarantine or stay-at-home order.
You've been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine.
You're seeking a diagnosis for COVID-19 symptoms.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

If that quote is up to date then yes. A good HR department (my wife's is through payroll company) can answer that immediately. I believe the CARES Act is still valid.

Best of luck. Hope it's negative and your boss covers your leave.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

You do realize that the "test" checks for the presence of a corina virus, not specifically SARS-CoV-2?


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

High Desert Elk said:


> You do realize that the "test" checks for the presence of a corina virus, not specifically SARS-CoV-2?


???


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Ridgetop,

I apologise as I misread your question. I am not sure how CARES affects pre-existing paid time off. I hope you find an answer to that and it works out for your benefit.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

High Desert Elk said:


> You do realize that the "test" checks for the presence of a corina virus, not specifically SARS-CoV-2?


You do realize that's just not true?

And ridgetop, yeah you need to request ffcra leave from your employer. There's a few ways employers might be exempt from offering it but odds are your employer is required to give you it.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

My work has said if you have to be out that you have to use PTO. If you have no PTO for leave left then the other stuff comes into play.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

johnnycake said:


> You do realize that's just not true?


It's become pretty amazing the false statements out there that people are so willing to just simply state as fact. It's baffling, really. What is the motivation?


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Vanilla said:


> It's become pretty amazing the false statements out there that people are so willing to just simply state as fact. It's baffling, really. What is the motivation?


Like almost all things, its political.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Catherder said:


> Like almost all things, its political.


I get it, but if you want your "team" to win, don't you want them to be right? It's one thing in subjective, opinion based rhetoric to be light on facts. But to say things that are objectively factually wrong, what advantage does that give?

Now I'm off on a tangent. Oh well. I'm sure I'll never understand this one.


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## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

backcountry said:


> Ridgetop,
> 
> I apologise as I misread your question. I am not sure how CARES affects pre-existing paid time off. I hope you find an answer to that and it works out for your benefit.


at my work we have people test positive every now and then. we are required to use our sick pay first and then our covid pay kicks in when that is exhausted. if we have contact with someone showing symptoms that tests positive then we need to quarantine until we get a negative test and the above applies.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

That is a tough one Ridge. I hope it all works out.



Vanilla said:


> It's become pretty amazing the false statements out there that people are so willing to just simply state as fact. It's baffling, really. What is the motivation?


Politics, possibly. Or it could be simply that the statement is the memory of a fact given by an expert that then became false. 
Just like many of the topics which the experts went back and forth on concerning the Covid issue. I remember hearing an expert on a more liberal leaning show talk about the mis-diagnosis issue a few months ago.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/me...a-s-top-doctor-advises/ar-BB18F5f1?li=BBnba9O

lol...

-DallanC


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

DallanC said:


> https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/me...a-s-top-doctor-advises/ar-BB18F5f1?li=BBnba9O
> 
> lol...
> 
> -DallanC


Well the good news is I did test negative, which I was about 99% sure that would be the case.

Since I don't have any company sick leave, we'll see if I have to burn vacation time for being told to stay home until I tested negative.

I hope my boss does the right thing and steps up and pays for my time off that he insisted on.


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

I work for a pretty good company and our policy is if ya get covid they give you 10 days PTO on top of whatever other PTO you may have accrued. There was a catch though, if you can and are able to work from home then you don't get that sweet sweet PTO. Well, I'm an office computer monkey so when I got the Rona' I had to keep on working from my basement--made me wish I drove a forklift then I would have got a nice paid vacation!


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## deljoshua (Jul 29, 2013)

All of the regulations are tied to how many employees the company has. I can’t remember the number but if it is above or below a certain number the company is not required to provide the wages to the employee without using their paid time off (vacation/sick pay). I believe it is in the cares act. 
Glad your test came back negative.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I found out my company will be paying for my lost time away from work as per the cares act.


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## corlateanualex341 (Dec 12, 2020)

deljoshua said:


> All of the regulations are tied to how many employees the company has. I can't remember the number but if it is above or below a certain number the company is not required to provide the wages to the employee without using their paid time off (vacation/sick pay). I believe it is in the cares act.
> Glad your test came back negative.


The fewer people, the less likely it is to spread


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

So, for the two attorneys in the room (you know who you are), the CDC's website does state that a positive test may indicate the presence of another corona virus, or the presence of, antibodies formed with contact with a corona virus. The common cold is in the family of coronaviruses. The CDC could certainly have changed that statement by now, I made my comment when that was on their website. 

You're welcome...


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Fully ruling out cross-reactivity is difficult at this stage in a novel pathogen. But most of the tests I've seen are pretty accurate in narrowing down the unique genetics of SARS-CoV-2. For example the CDC's own antibody test has a specificity of 99% for finding the appropriate immune indicators. 

Per antibody tests, as I understand it, the literature is exploring the fact that such cross reactivity could be a positive way of fighting this. There is a chance that some people develop an immune response from other coronavirus infections that could help fight against SARS-CoV-2 infections later. Though it's one of the less certain lines of research yet. I'm guessing Catherder has a better grasp of this than I.

But ultimately I'm not sure what you are trying to get to with your post.


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