On June 26, 2020, the DOL issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2020-04 for its investigators. The bulletin provides guidance for those investigators looking into cases in which an employer allegedly improperly denies an employee FFCRA leave when summer camps, summer enrichment programs or other summer programs are closed. It reiterates previous guidance regarding summer camps and FFCRA leave and adds a discussion of what investigators should look at when determining whether an employer appropriately denied FFCRA leave to an employee seeking it because a summer camp was unavailable for the child.

FFCRA provides up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave, and up to twelve weeks of expanded family and medical leave (10 of which may be paid), if an employee is unable to work or telework due to a need to care for their child because that child’s “place of care” is closed due to COVID-19 related reasons. In order to obtain this leave, the requesting employee must provide their employer with information to support this need for leave. This information includes an explanation of the reason for the leave, a statement that the employee cannot work due to that reason, the name of the affected child, the name of the place of care, and a statement that no other suitable person is available to care for the child.

The question is whether summer camps, summer enrichment programs and other summer programs count as places of care for this purpose. The bulletin focuses on whether a particular summer camp or program would have served as a place of care had it not closed for COVID-19 related reasons. Evidence of the employee’s intent to use the camp or program for this purpose should be considered. The bulletin suggests that the matter seems clear enough that summer camps or programs are places of care for this purpose when the employee actually enrolled their child in the camp or program before the camp opted to close due to COVID-19.

However, there are cases where the employee had not enrolled their child in the camp or program. The bulletin applies a preponderance of the evidence standard, under which it must appear that the employee would have more likely than not enrolled their child in the camp in question, when evaluating those cases. Steps taken by the employee short of actual enrollment may indicate that intent, such as paying a deposit, prior attendance in the camp or program or submitting an application to enroll. A mere statement of intent is likely not enough. Similarly, a camp or program that is available for 12-year-old children would not be appropriate for the 13-year-old child of an employee, so such a camp or program would not qualify as a place of care for that child.

Although the bulletin is intended for DOL investigators, it could be helpful for employers to keep this in mind when evaluating an employee request for FFCRA leave for this reason.

Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2020-04 »

Source: NFP BenefitsPartners