AFGE urges EVERY employee who was denied leave due to the circumstances below to request Leave via VATAS. If you are DENIED, please contact AFGE IMMEDIATELY.

Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) is a entitlement that may be applied back to April 1, 2020.  

The use of EPSLA is applicable from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, and includes expanded sick leave up to 80 hours.  If you are a part-time employee, the 80 hours will be prorated.  As stated above, up until yesterday, there were only 2 qualifying reasons.  Based on updated guidance, there are now 6 qualifying reasons as follows:    

1.      Employee is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19  Example:  You returned from a cruise and the state mandated 14 day quarantine.

2.      Employee is advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19 and is unable to work at normal workplace or telework.

3.      Employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis and is unable to work at normal workplace or telework.

4.      Employee is caring for an individual subject to an order described in (1) or (2) for isolation/self-quarantine

5.      Employee is caring for a child as a result of school closure or unavailable childcare due to COVID-19

6.      Experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Note: To our knowledge none have been identified to date.