Frequently Asked Questions on How to Apply for FFCRA Leave

▼   What is the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)?
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) requires certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.
▼   When is the FFCRA effective and when does it end?
These provisions will apply from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
▼   What are the qualifying reasons for leave covered by the FFCRA?

An employee is entitled to take leave related to COVID-19 if the employee is unable to work, including unable to telework, because the employee:

  1. is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19;
  2. has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19;
  3. is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis;
  4. is caring for an individual subject to an order described in (1) or self-quarantine as described in (2);
  5. is caring for his or her child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) due to COVID-19 related reasons;
  6. is experiencing any other substantially-similar condition specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
▼   Will I need to provide my employer with supporting documentation?

Yes. The required documentation is based on the type FFCRA qualifying reason you have selected on the leave of absence form.

An employee is entitled to take leave related to COVID-19 if the employee is unable to work, including unable to telework, because the employee:

  1. is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19; (For the first two weeks you must provide a copy of any quarantine or isolation order, your supervisor will verify by signing the request for a leave of absence form that you are eligible for this option because you have been required to quarantine. If the absence is extended you will be required to provide Human Resources with a completed Medical Certification by your physician.)
  2. has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19; (You must provide Human Resources with a doctor’s note indicating the start date and end date of the absence. The doctor’s note is due immediately and can be sent to Human Resources via email. If your absence extends  beyond two weeks, you will be required to provide Human Resources with a completed Medical Certification by your physician)
  3. is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis; (You must provide Human Resources with a doctor’s note indicating the start date and end date of the absence. The doctor’s note is due immediately and can be sent to Human Resources via email. If your absence extends beyond two weeks, you will be required to provide Human Resources with a completed Medical Certification by your physician.)
  4. is caring for an individual subject to an order described in (1) or self-quarantine as described in (2); (You must provide Human Resources with a doctor’s note indicating the start date and end date of the absence. The doctor’s note is due immediately and can be sent to Human resource via email. If your absence extends beyond two weeks, you will be required to provide Human Resources with a completed Medical Certification by your family member’s physician.)
  5. is caring for his or her child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) due to COVID-19 related reasons; (You must provide Human Resources with a statement from your daycare verifying the facility is closed, to include how long it is expected to be closed. An email from a daycare official is sufficient. The email should include the person’s full name, title, address, phone number and email address.  If acquiring this statement is impossible or the child is of regular school age, please issue a statement (via email) indicating the name(s) of your child(ren), date(s) of birth and name of the daycare or school they normally attend). For children over the age of 14 please provide a statement of circumstances that exists requiring care, and affirming that there is no other suitable person who can care for the child during the requested leave.  
  6. is experiencing any other substantially-similar condition specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Please issue a statement indicating the reason for your request)
▼   Who is eligible?

Regular and Temporary employees of the University General Division are eligible for up to two weeks of fully or partially paid (based on FTE) leave for COVID-19 related reasons (see qualifying reasons above).

Employees who have been employed for at least 30 days prior to their leave request may be eligible for up to an additional 10 weeks of partially paid expanded family and medical leave for caring for his or her child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) due to COVID-19 related reasons.

▼   Who is exempted from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act?

The Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA), which went into effect on April 1, 2020 as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, contain a broad exemption for employees classified as “health care providers,” which includes anyone employed at any doctor’s office, hospital, health care center, clinic, post-secondary educational institution offering health care instruction, medical school, any facility that performs laboratory or medical testing, pharmacy, or any similar health care entity. 

Based upon that exemption, the following employees are designated as “health care providers” and are therefore exempt from receiving benefits under the new laws:

All USA Health Faculty, Physicians, staff and administrators, and all clinical Faculty of the College of Medicine who are employed by:

USA Health Hospitals
USA Health Physicians Group
USA Health Health Care Authority
USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute
If you do not fall into one of these categories of employees, you may be eligible for benefits under these laws. For the application click here https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/eforms/hr/leaveofabsence.pdf

▼   Are employees entitled to paid leave due to COVID-19?

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, employers  are required to provide employees who are unable to work or telework, with two weeks of paid leave, paid at the employee’s regular rate, (based on FTE) due to one of the qualifying reasons:

An employee is entitled to take leave related to COVID-19 if the employee is unable to work, including unable to telework, because the employee:

  1. is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19; (Employee is paid for up to 80 hours ( prorated based on FTE), thereafter the employee will be paid through the employee leave accruals in accordance with regular timekeeping practices.)
  2. has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19; (Employee is paid for up to 80 hours (prorated based on FTE), thereafter the employee will be paid through the employee leave accruals in accordance with regular timekeeping practices)
  3. is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis; (Employee is paid for up to 80 hours (prorated based on FTE), thereafter the employee will be paid through the employee leave accruals in accordance with regular timekeeping practices.)
  4. is caring for an individual subject to an order described in (1) or self-quarantine as described in (2); (Employee is paid 2/3 of the employee hourly rate for up to 80 hours (prorated based on FTE).
  5. is caring for his or her child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) due to COVID-19 related reasons; (Employee is paid 2/3 of employee hourly rate for up to 80 hours (prorated based on FTE). Employee may qualify for an additional 10 weeks at 2/3 pay. The employee must have been employed at least 30 days.
  6. is experiencing any other substantially-similar condition specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Employee is paid 2/3 of employee hourly rate for up to 80 hours (prorated based on FTE).

Full-time employees are entitled to two weeks (80 hours) of paid leave and part-time employees are entitled to paid leave based on the typical number of hours that they work in a typical two-week period. For part time/temporary employees without a normal schedule, the employer will use a six-month average to calculate the average daily hours.

▼   How do I apply for a FFCRA covered leave?

Employees are required to complete a request for leave of absence form. 

Leave of Absence Request form

This form must be completed in full, to include the supervisor’s signature, and returned to the Human Resources office via email (see detailed instruction enclosed with the form).

University General Division employees should email the form to ybetler@southalabama.edu