Overview:
In a rare show of bipartisanship, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into law on March 18, 2020. This legislation provides a wide scope of benefits and rights to individuals impacted by the COVID-19 national emergency.

This legislation makes sweeping changes to an employer’s legal obligations:
(1)  imposing a general paid sick and safe leave mandate on all employers with fewer than 500 employees, with additional time for public health emergencies;
(2)  temporarily and vastly expanding coverage and imposing a paid leave requirement under the Family and Medical Leave Act for reasons associated with COVID-19 on most employers with fewer than 500 employees;
(3)  making unemployment benefits available for reasons associated with COVID-19; and
(4)  giving a tax credit for paid sick and paid family and medical leave