Last Updated on March 4, 2021
The “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,” the COVID relief and stimulus package that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), shepherded through the House, includes an unscrupulous provision that allows federal employees to collect up to $21,000 to stay home if schools aren’t open to take their children.
The provision also covers part-time and “seasonal” employees whose compensation would be calculated to “equivalent hours established by their agency.”
The details the “Emergency Federal Employee Leave Fund,” is found starting on page 305 of the COVID relief package currently making its way through the US Senate.
Politicians added a provision to the COVID-19 “relief” bill that pays federal employees only up to 15 weeks of paid leave at $1400 PER WEEK if they have to stay home with out of school kids.
It’s a personal bailout for bureaucrats.https://t.co/w3YoNpzY1U
— Young Americans for Liberty (@YALiberty) February 25, 2021
The legislation authorizes a $570 million fund “available through September 30” so federal employees can execute paid leave if they have to care “for others due to COVID.”
Those eligible include federal employees with children who do not have in-person school. Also eligible to draw from the taxpayer funded endowment are those who are “unable to work” because they are caring for any immediate relative or dependent adversely affected by COVID.
$570 million in the new $1.9 trillion COVID relief fund is available through September 30, but only for federal employees!
Learn more: https://t.co/Z9kNrXTdKl pic.twitter.com/4um8lbOObw— OpenTheBooks (@open_the_books) February 24, 2021
The applicable passage in the bill reads: “[I]f the school or place of care of the son or daughter has been closed, if the school of such son or daughter requires or makes optional a virtual learning instruction model or requires or makes optional a hybrid of in-person and virtual learning instruction models, or the childcare provider of such son or daughter is unavailable, due to Covid-19 precautions…”
In its current form, the bill would allow full-time federal employees to take up to 600 hours in paid leave until September 30, 2021, and up to $35 an hour and $1,400 a week. Totaled for a 40-hour work week employee, the paid time off comes to 15 weeks.
COVID Bill Would Give Federal Employees Nearly Four Months Of Paid Leave To Homeschool Kids While Teachers Do Nothinghttps://t.co/zAShtq7yrI
— The Federalist (@FDRLST) February 24, 2021
Part-time and “seasonal” employees are eligible at the equivalent hours as established and calculated by their agency. Currently, outside of the legislation’s provision, federal employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
