Following Call from Senator Hassan, Department of Labor Announces Campaign to Ensure Workers Know Their Rights to Paid Leave Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
The Families First Act that Congress Passed Into Law Provides Emergency Paid Sick Leave Options
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it will launch a public service awareness campaign to alert workers to their rights to paid leave under a law Congress passed earlier this year, which included paid leave options if an individual or a family member has COVID-19, or if an individual does not have access to child care for COVID-19-related reasons.
The announcement follows a Senate Finance Committee hearing last month in which Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) urged Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia to make sure that workers understand their new paid leave options.
“I am pleased that the Department of Labor announced an outreach campaign to educate Americans about the paid leave options that they have amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senator Hassan. “These types of education campaigns are critically important so that individuals know that they don’t have to choose between paying their bills or staying home because they have COVID-19 or need to care for a family member. Furthermore, it helps protect everyone’s public health when those who are exposed to COVID-19 are able to self-isolate instead of going to work in-person where they could expose others.”
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