Stay tuned into the House Coronavirus Relief Bill for Small Businesses

How the bipartisan bill is amending the Family Medical Leave Act

A recent article in Inc.com has highlighted the most important changes made to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The biggest proposed change is that the act now includes all companies with fewer than 500 employees (eliminating the 50 employee floor that the FMLA has), but there are still limitations. Read a concise overview by an employment attorney at the link below. It is important to note that this bill has yet to pass the Senate, though this is expected by Friday, March 20th.

3/19/20 Update: President Trump has signed the latest coronavirus aid package into Law as of 3/18/20 to support paid sick and family leave, as well as unemployment and food security benefits. Efforts are already underway to release a third, larger relief measure to inject money into our hard hit economies.

Employment attorney Jon Hyman summarized the benefits and changes as follows:

1. It amends the definition of employee to anyone who has been employed by an employer for at least 30 days.
2. It changes the definition of employer from "50 or more employees" to "fewer than 500 employees."
3. It expands the definition of parent to include foster and adoptive parents, step-parents, parents of a domestic partner, parental in-laws, guardians, and those who stood in loco parentis.
4. It provides leave to provide care for a family member who is under a coronavirus-related quarantine
5. And more...