Q: Is my employer required to pay me for my quarantine?
I'm unvaccinated and was exposed to Covid by a coworker at work. My job is requiring me to quarantine without pay for a minimum of 7 days. Are they allowed to withhold pay from me since I was exposed at work?
A:
By "making you quarantine" your employer is being responsible and doing what the law requires them to do to protect ALL their employees.
Regarding paying you: If you are a salaried employee or have a written employment agreement that speaks to this issue than your employer will have to follow their agreement.
But if you are an hourly wage earner, your employer does NOT have to pay you for the time you are unable to work.
A: Good question. Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the answer would have been "no" (unless your employer fell under a statutory exemption). However, effective January 1, 2021, FFCRA paid leave became optional, meaning covered employers were no longer required to participate, but if they did, they would continue to receive tax credits for the payments made to employees on leave for covered reasons.
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