One of the very first steps President Joe Biden took upon assuming the presidency was to attack the COVID-19 pandemic and lay out plans for relief for Americans who have suffered financially and medically as a result of the widespread pandemic.

The administration’s American Rescue Plan covered a broad spectrum of aid, including paid leave for American workers.

Here’s a quick look at some of the elements of that plan:

• Expanded paid sick and family and medical leave: Under the plan, one can take 14 weeks of paid sick and family and medical leave for caregiving responsibilities if a child or loved one’s school or care center is closed, to care for people with the virus, to quarantine due to exposure, or to get the vaccine.
• Expanded qualification for paid leave: The plan expanded qualification for this paid leave to include federal workers. That accounts for more than two million Americans.
• Wage replacement benefit: The plan provides maximum paid leave benefits of $1400 per week for those who qualify (workers earning up to $73,000 annually). More than 75 percent of American workers qualify.
• Reimbursement for some employers: The federal government will reimburse employers with fewer than 500 employees for any costs associated with this leave. It will also reimburse state and local governments for these leave costs.
• Extended availability: Finally, the plan extended these emergency paid leave measures until September 30, 2021 due to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and what the world was likely to look like throughout most of the year.

If you believe you qualify for these benefits or have any questions about how they work, we encourage you to contact a knowledgeable attorney at Kardell Law Group and we will be happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information available.