12 - Extension of the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act

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Item No. 12 TO: Mayor & City Council FROM: Grayson Path, City Manager SUBJECT: Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Granting of Extension DATE: January 11, 2021 BACKGROUND: The Federal Government approved the FFCRA in response to the CoVid-19 Pandemic which required certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to CoVid-19. These provisions were in place from April 1, 2020 — December 31, 2020. Employees were given up to 80 hours of paid sick leave in addition to their normal vacation, holiday, sick leave that would be paid at their regular rate of pay under certain conditions and up to certain amounts — please see the attached flyer for specifics. STATUS OF ISSUE: This FFCRA requirement has now expired and to the best of our knowledge and research, it was not continued as part of the recently approved $900 Billion Relief Bill signed on December 27, 2020. Under this bill though, employers who pay income tax can receive a tax credit if they voluntarily continue to provide the FFCRA through March 31, 2021. As a City, the tax credit would not apply to us. We are seeing other employers, including schools and municipalities, voluntarily extending the FFCRA Program given CoVid-19 continues to be a serious issue in our communities, perhaps more so now than was seen in prior months with the recent spikes. The City continues to have employees impacted by CoVid-19 and needing to take time off for testing and possibly even quarantine periods.