At Rise Law Firm, our preeminent employment law attorneys in Long Beach aggressively advocate for your rights as an employee by outlining the protections that allow you to take time away from work without fear of retaliation.
Both the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) protect employees who need to take paid or unpaid time away from work to care for themselves or their families in their time of need.
If you believe your right to take the time you need away from work is being violated by your employer, contact our Los Angeles employment law attorneys today to learn which Act’s provisions apply to your unique case.
The Family Medical Leave Act was drafted and enacted to protect eligible employees from termination during unpaid leave for specified family and medical reasons.
FMLA also provides for the continuation of group health insurance under the same terms and conditions as though the employee had not taken leave.
The FMLA applies directly to employees who are seeking care, and their needs to serve as caregivers for family members.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act is an expansion of FMLA, which addresses COVID-19 in the workplace, which required eligible employees of covered employers to provide paid sick leave, and/or job protection while combatting the virus at home.
Both Acts empower founders, executives, and other employees to address difficult personal and family matters while protecting their employment.
The benefits available through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act were initially slated to expire March 31, 2021 and have been extended through September 2021.
Initially, employers that were covered under the Families First Coronavirus Act in California were companies with more than 50 but fewer than 500 employees.
Employers are no longer required to provide the protection but can opt-in to continue the Act’s coverage.
Employers with less than 500 employees that voluntarily opt-in to the FFCRA must review the revised language closely, as the Act’s substantive provisions have been expanded giving employees broader rights to take sick leave and family leave.
The FFCRA protects eligible employees of a covered employer for benefits that include paid sick leave when the illness is related to permissible reasons stated in the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act.
While the FFCRA leave requirements have expired, employers who opt-in can offer their employees paid and unpaid time off when the employee:
Effective April 1, 2021, if your employer has opted into the voluntary expansion of FFCRA, there are new provisions that protect employees who are:
The American Rescue Act Plan of 2021 also extended the FFCRA in two other important ways:
If your employment rights have dwindled since the Act’s protections became voluntary but you believe they were violated before the provisions changed, contact our skilled Long Beach employment law attorneys today to discuss your concerns.
As our legislatures continue to revise the ways the Coronavirus affects our employment rights, it is important to discuss the latest terms of existing Acts and any new protections available, so you can ensure your rights are protected.
At Rise Law Firm, our experienced California employment law attorneys provide sophisticated contingency representation for high stakes executive, founder, and other employment cases, so all our clients are protected from workplace family leave violations. If you believe you were wrongfully denied paid or unpaid medical or family leave, contact our skilled Families First Coronavirus Response Act attorneys for a free consultation by calling (310) 728-6588 or contact us online.