Government

Public Sector Workers on Covid-19 Frontlines Now Eligible for Paid Leave

Many of the territory’s public sector healthcare workers and first responders are now eligible for additional time off under the COVID Leave Act signed into law on August 11, the Office of Senator Kenneth Gittens has announced. Act 8327, sponsored by Senator Kenneth Gittens, took effect immediately and creates an avenue for these frontline employees to be granted special administrative leave of up to 80 hours rather than have to use their accrued sick or annual leave if they become ill or must quarantine during this pandemic. The employees eligible for this paid leave include nurses, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, social workers, corrections staff, law enforcement officers and their support staff. Mr. Gittens, who himself has been home recovering from COVID-19, has written to the territory’s agency heads to ensure that they and their employees are fully aware of the provisions of the COVID Leave Act. “I continue to hear that employees are using their personal time or e...