Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution to Approve Paid Leave for City of San Leandro Employees Who Must Quarantine Due to Work-Related COVID-19 Exposure
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
One of the City's top priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic is ensuring the health and safety of its employees. To address the workplace impacts of COVID-19, staff recommends that the City Council approve a resolution to provide paid leave ("Quarantine Leave") for employees who must quarantine due to work-related COVID-19 exposure.
BACKGROUND
2020 was an exceptionally challenging year for employees and their families due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impacts of COVID-19 have continued into 2021, as the City has recently seen a rise in the number of employee exposures and positive cases. This increase aligns with State and County reports of the biggest COVID-19 surge since the beginning of the pandemic. Despite adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols, City employees have also experienced an increase in work-related exposures that was difficult to prevent.
Since April 1, 2020, employees have been eligible for Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) for COVID-19 related absences pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). After FFCRA expired on December 31, 2020, the City extended the FFCRA provisions through March 31, 2021 as permitted by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and confirmed by the Department of Labor. However, many employees have exhausted the allotted 80 hours of Emergency Paid Sick Leave but need to take more time off for COVID-19 related reasons. For instance, some employees may need to quarantine more than once. Additionally, some employees do not receive their full salary while in quarantine or isolation due to EPSL's maximum benefit of $511 per day ($5,110 aggregate).
The City must also comply with the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (CalOSHA) COVID-19 Emergency Temporar...
Click here for full text