COVID-19 — Part V: Small Business Resources.

By Mallory Corlette

This is part five in our occasional series about applying for coronavirus-related loans.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) took effect in early May. It states that companies with fewer than 500 employees have to offer paid medical leave after the employee takes 10 unpaid days.

An employee is eligible if 1) that employee has to take leave to quarantine because they have the virus; 2) that employee has to stay home to care for a child/children due to schools/daycare centers being closed. The employee would decide whether they would like to use this or not; the employer cannot mandate it.

This won’t apply to most of our clients since option 2 isn’t available if the employee is able to telework. An employee also cannot apply for FFCRA if your facility/office is closed. There are lots of nuances about how the reimbursements work, so let Office Accomplice know if one of your employees decides to request leave through FFCRA/FMLA. And, do not forget to distribute this information to your employees.