As of January 1, employers will no longer be required to grant employees who fall ill with COVID-19 two weeks of paid leave.
According to Buzzfeed News, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell blocked the extension of the $ 900 billion stimulus package approved by Congress earlier this week.
According to the Huffington Post, Democrats wanted to extend paid leave to the new year, since there is an increase in COVID-19 cases. Still, Republicans felt that renewing the mandate would make it permanent, which they did not want to happen.
In March, Congress passed the CARES Act, which required employers to grant employees up to two weeks of paid sick leave if they hired COVID and two weeks of paid leave to care for a sick relative. It also allowed employers to use up to 10 weeks of paid family leave if a child’s school or daycare was closed due to the coronavirus.
Although the latest stimulus project does not extend sick leave or family leave mandates, the project would still allow companies to subsidize costs with a refundable tax credit if they provide paid vacation until March 31, 2021.
According to CNBC, 87 million workers eligible for paid sick leave and family leave under the law may be affected.