Teaching Profession

Getting Paid During the Coronavirus Crisis: How a New Law Affects School Employees

By Mark Lieberman — March 20, 2020 2 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

President Trump signed an emergency paid leave law that will provide relief for employees across America—including those who work in schools—dealing with COVID-19. Here’s a guide to how the law may affect you.

What kind of emergency paid leave is the federal government offering right now?

Two kinds:

  • Sick leave, for up to 80 hours, at full or two-thirds pay depending on the situation.
  • Family leave, for up to 10 additional weeks, at two-thirds pay.

Both will last through Dec. 31.

I work at a large school district with more than 500 employees. Do employees in my school district qualify for federal paid leave?

Yes. All local and state government employees—including teachers, administrators, staff, and other school employees—are eligible.

Does federal paid leave cancel out sick leave I already have through my employer, or my union’s collective-bargaining agreement?

No. Your employer may supplement your existing benefits with these provisions, or may provide additional sick or paid leave.

I’m a salaried school employee. My school is closed for the foreseeable future. I’m not sick and I don’t have children. Am I eligible for federal paid leave?

No. Only school employees who have COVID-19 symptoms, are self-quarantining or seeking a diagnosis, or are caring for family members or children whose schools or day cares are closed due to COVID-19 can take advantage of federal sick leave. Only school employees who have children at home, either sick or because their school or day care is shut down, can take advantage of federal paid family leave.

I’m a salaried school employee, and I’m sick. I don’t have children. What am I eligible for?

80 hours of sick leave, paid at your normal salary rate, up to $511 per day.

I’m a salaried school employee, I’m not sick and my child is sick. What am I eligible for?

Federal sick leave and family medical leave. You’ll get up to 80 hours of sick leave, paid at two-thirds of your normal salary rate, up to $200 per day. Then you’ll get up to 10 weeks of family leave, paid at two-thirds of your normal salary rate.

I’m a salaried employee. I’m not sick, and my child is not sick but is home from school due to the COVID-19 outbreak. What am I eligible for?

Federal sick leave and family medical leave. You’ll get up to 80 hours of sick leave, paid at two-thirds of your normal salary rate, up to $200 per day. Then you’ll get up to 10 weeks of family leave, paid at two-thirds of your normal salary rate, as long as your child’s school or day care remains closed.

I’m a part-time, hourly school worker. Am I eligible for federal paid leave?

Yes. You are eligible in the same way as salaried full-time employees, except that one week of leave for you will consist of the number of hours you usually work in a single week.

I’m a part-time, hourly school worker who works different hours depending on the week. How do I calculate my eligibility for federal paid leave?

Hourly workers with irregular schedules are eligible for paid leave for the average number of hours they work in a two-week period over the last six months.

Who’s paying for federal leave?

Your employer will initially foot the bill, but the federal government will reimburse your employer within three months.

Source: Education Week reporting and interview with Julia Martin, legislative director for Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Big Goals, Small Start: Building MTSS to Scale
MTSS is a powerful framework for supporting student success, but implementation can be challenging. Learn from districts about their MTSS success stories and challenges.
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Exploring Staff Shortage Impact on Education
Learn about the impact of staff shortages, changing roles of educators, and how technology supports teachers & students.
Content provided by Promethean
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Improving Outcomes on State Assessments with Data-Driven Strategies
State testing is around the corner! Join us as we discuss how teachers can use formative data to drive improved outcomes on state assessments.
Content provided by Instructure

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession Q&A Los Angeles Educators Are Set to Strike. Will Teachers Elsewhere Follow Suit?
Unions in cities have become more aggressive—and low wages coupled with a demand for talent are giving them leverage.
6 min read
Thousands of LAUSD education workers calling on LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to use the district’s $4.9 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities rally at Grand Park in front of Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles on March 15, 2023.
Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District educators call on Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to use the district’s nearly $5 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities at a rally at the city's Grand Park on March 15, 2023.
Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News via TNS
Teaching Profession The Gender Pay Gap Is a Problem for Teachers, Too
Women dominate the profession. Men still make more.
5 min read
A conceptual image of a female being paid less than a male.
hyejin kang/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Five Ways Teachers Are Spending Their Spring Break
Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow, but springtime is almost here. See how teachers are spending spring break this year.
1 min read
Sunrise and bokeh over paddy rice field. Paddy field farming at sunrise.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Teaching Profession Teachers of Color Are Most at Risk in Upcoming Layoffs, Report Says
They're more likely to be in their first few years of teaching—and let go under seniority-based layoff rules.
5 min read
Layoffs are illustrated by an oversized pair of scissors, that looms over seven teachers of color sitting in chairs suspended by strings. The teachers using their laptop computers and mobile devices.
DigitalVision/Vectors + EdWeek