09 - Extend the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act Sick Leave Program to 6-30-2022

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Item No. 9 TO: Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem & City Council FROM: Grayson Path, City Manager SUBJECT: Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Granting of Extension DATE: January 10, 2022 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. While the federal requirements for this leave ended on 12/31/20, they recommended that employers voluntarily continue this leave for their employees given CoVid-19 was still a rampant issue in the country. The City Council agreed to extend the FFCRA Program 4 consecutive quarters, thus from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. STATUS OF ISSUE: Despite the low CoVid-19 numbers we experienced through the fall, with the addition of the new Omicron CoVid-19 variant, CoVid-19 cases in the City and County have once again dramatically increased. The City is likewise seeing high numbers of employees getting sick and needing to quarantine away from work. While it was slow in the start of the fourth quarter, it has drastically picked up lately. In addition, the Governor's Mandate GA -38 disallows the City Manager to require facial coverings of his employees and GA -39 disallows requiring vaccinations. Because of this, it is requested that the City Council consider re -instating the CoVid-19 leave under the same terms and conditions as before. Between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021, 81 employees utilized the FFCRA. Since the program ended on December 31 ", we know of about ten employees who have been out with CoVid-19. This number has been increasing as of late and we expect it to continue to rise in the upcoming weeks. While vaccinations — those who have taken it — have helped keep these cases mild, they do not prevent employees from catching CoVid-19 and spreading it.