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Since the beginning of this year, employers with fewer than 500 employees have been eligible for federal tax credits for reimbursement of qualified wages and health insurance premiums paid to employees on COVID quarantine for up to 10 days. When the credit was originally made available in 2019, qualified employers were federally mandated to provide 10 days of paid leave, but the program became optional when it was extended in December 2020. This optional credit was set to expire on March 31, 2021, but has been extended again to September 30, 2021 with the recent passage of the American Rescue Act. Although this federal tax credit is optional, paid time off for quarantine orders is still mandated for many employers by New York State • Click here for an article on the American Rescue Act extension of the tax credit. • Click here for information on New York’s COVID leave requirements