As of Jan. 1, employers will no longer have to give employees who get sick with COVID-19 two weeks of paid leave.
According to Buzzfeed News, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked the extension of the paid leave mandate from the $ 900 billion stimulus package approved by Congress earlier this week.
According to the Huffington Post, Democrats wanted to extend paid leave to the new year, as there is an increase in COVID-19 cases. Still, Republicans felt that renewing the term would make it permanent, something they did not want to happen.
In March, Congress passed the CARES Act, which required employers to provide employees with up to two weeks of sick leave if they hire COVID and two weeks of paid leave to care for a sick relative. It also allowed employers to use up to ten weeks of paid family leave if a child’s school or daycare was closed due to the coronavirus.
Although the latest stimulus bill does not extend medical or family discharge mandates, the law would still allow companies to subsidize costs with a refundable tax credit if they provide paid leave until March 31, 2021.
According to CNBC, 87 million workers eligible for paid illness and family leave could be affected by the act.