Family Caregivers Need Paid Leave Too

The undersigned organizations write in response to the recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Public Law No: 116-127. The legislation extended emergency paid sick leave to many employees whose lives are impacted by COVID-19, including those with a diagnosis, under quarantine or isolation orders, who have been advised to self-quarantine, and caregivers for those with the virus or advised to self-quarantine. Caregivers who must take time to care for children because of school or child care provider closures due to COVID-19 are also included. The law also gave authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor, to ensure that paid leave is available to employees “experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified [as a reason for leave].” As the language indicates, Congress intended your agencies to further extend paid sick leave through this provision. We ask you to clarify that, under this provision, paid sick leave extends to family caregivers for people with disabilities and older adults because of care provider closure or direct care workers unavailability due to COVID-19.