Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
Mundelein’s police officers, firefighters, and public works employees won’t be eligible for extra paid time off if infected with the COVID-19 virus despite a recent federal law creating that benefit for American workers. In a meeting held remotely Monday night, the village board voted to exempt those workers from the benefits of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was signed into law last month.
Many other suburbs have taken the same step.
The federal law applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees. It gives full-time employees up to 80 additional hours of paid sick leave relating to the coronavirus, through the end of the year. It also allows for up to 12 extra weeks of unpaid family leave to care for children under 18, funds 14-day paid leave for workers directly affected by the pandemic and other provisions.
The legislation allows employers to exempt health care providers and a variety of emergency personnel, including police officers, firefighters, jail and prison workers, public works employees, and members of the military.
In the police department, the exemption will apply to: Chief Eric Guenther and all sworn officers regardless of rank, records clerks, and tele-communicators.
