D.C. Amends Emergency Paid Leave Amendments

On May 27, 2020, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a bill that amends D.C. emergency paid leave requirements. Although many changes are stylistic and do not affect the substance of the law, one change clarifies an issue concerning when the new obligation began, and others detail when employees can use leave and how employers can comply via existing paid leave policies.

Quick Recap of Relevant Legislation: On April 10, 2020, D.C. enacted B23-0733, a 90-day emergency law that expanded D.C.'s paid sick leave law to require employers with between 50 and 499 employees to provide emergency paid leave for the same reasons employees can take emergency paid sick leave under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). On May 21, D.C. enacted identical amendments via B23-0734, a 225-day temporary law scheduled to remain in effect until January 1, 2021.