Elgin emergency responders get some protections under coronavirus act

Elgin emergency responders are covered by the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act but not by the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, officials said.

Both are components of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, announced by the U.S. Department of Labor and effective April 2 through Dec. 31.

This means full-time emergency responders in Elgin are eligible for 80 hours of paid sick leave for reasons including experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, caring for someone in self-quarantine, or caring for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable due to COVID-19.

However, they are not eligible for expanded family and medical leave to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19.

The FFCRA authorizes local governments to exclude emergency responders. Elgin identified those as: all sworn and civilian employees in the police and fire departments; all employees in public works, water, engineering, building maintenance, neighborhood services, and building and development services; and all custodians.

City officials said the new administrative policy did not require city council action and was handled by the human resources department and the city manager's office. Employees were informed of the policy Friday.