Greene County Administrator Brandon Huddleson said the county has about five to 10 employees out a week on this kind of leave, whether they tested positive for the coronavirus, they were in close contact with a positive case or their childcare is closed. Now that this provision is expiring, county employees may have to use their own paid time off or unpaid time off when they have to quarantine.
“I’m worried with this expiring that folks will be less than honest with us about whether they had close contact (with someone who was COVID positive),” Huddleson said.
County employees using the leave because they’ve had childcare issues may have to arrange another way for their child to be taken care of.
Huddleson has a meeting Wednesday with other county officials to discuss what this means for employees. He is hopeful that Congress or President-Elect Joe Biden will renew this paid COVID leave or that another stimulus package would include a renewal.
“I don’t know where the new president stands on this, but from what I’ve heard, I think he might renew it in the new year,” Huddleson said.
For now the county plans to track leave taken if it is COVID-related, so that if the COVID leave is renewed they will be able to retroactively pay employees for that or put paid time off back into their leave balances.
Montgomery County gave employees 96 hours to use for COVID vacation leave, said county spokeswoman Deb Decker. Those hours can be rolled over to the end of 2021. This was paid for using county funds, so these hours will not expire.
“That gave (Montgomery County employees) some padding until all the normal operations could get back safely to working,” Decker said.
The COVID leave that was paid for using CARES Act funds, like the Families First Coronavirus Response Act paid leave, is expiring.
About 40% of Montgomery County employees have the ability to work from home.
In Warren County, the majority of employees have the ability to work from home, said Deputy County Administrator Martin Russell.
Early in the pandemic Warren County worked to allow people to telework. Most employees have been back in the county offices since May or June. If they have the ability to work from home and need to quarantine or take care of a child, most telework.
Those who are unable to work from home use the paid COVID leave.
Nothing has been decided yet on what will happen when paid COVID leave expires at the end of the month.
“We will be looking at things that we did in 2020, but I don’t have an answer yet for 2021. I am waiting on more direction from the commissioners,” Russell said.
Russell said the Warren County facilities employees have done a great job at making the county offices safe. The county hasn’t had much, if any, spread of the coronavirus in the workplace, he said.
About the Author
