A local urgency ordinance, temporarily expanding emergency paid sick leave for employees within Santa Rosa city limits, is in effect following City Council approval on July 7. This ordinance provides paid sick leave to additional employees beyond what is mandated in the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
FFCRA authorizes employees to provide 80 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees) of paid sick leave time for COVID-19 if the employee:
- Is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order
- Has been advised to self-quarantine by a healthcare provider
- Is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking medical diagnosis
- Is caring for an individual subject to an order described in (1) or (2)
- Is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed due to COVID-19
Under FFCRA, only employers with less than 500 employees are required to provide this leave, and for healthcare and emergency responder employers, providing the leave is optional. In addition, FFCRA applies a two-tier maximum compensation rate based on if the employee had COVID-19 (the higher cap) or was caring for someone with the virus (the lower cap).
The City of Santa Rosa Ordinance No. ORD-2020-006 expands FFCRA locally to include employers with 500 or more employees, as well as makes mandatory the inclusion of healthcare providers and emergency responders. In addition, the ordinance applies one compensation rate (the highest of the two in FFCRA) for any use of paid sick leave time for COVID-19.
For more information, including frequently asked questions and the text of the ordinance, go to SRCity.org/COVID19SickLeave.