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Massachusetts “Self Quarantine” Order & Sick Leave Eligibility

By The CIP Group

April 8, 2021

On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, Governor Baker mandated effective Friday, July 3, 2020, that all travelers arriving to Massachusetts from other states are instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days.

This order excludes travelers arriving from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, or New Jersey.

The order also excludes workers designated by the federal government as “essential critical infrastructure workers.”

This change impacts employee leave eligibility. Specifically, for employers subject to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) employees may be eligible for Emergency Paid Sick Leave (“EPSL”) if they are subject to this order instructing them to self-quarantine following out of state travel to one of the states not exempted from the order.

Governor Baker’s “instruction” to self-quarantine following out of state travel now counts as an order as a circumstance “subject to a Federal, State or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19” while the previous “urging” or “advising” quarantining does not.

Please know that while we strive for relevant and accurate information, this remains a fluid and evolving situation. We aren’t lawyers so please understand the information provided here does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information is for general informational purposes only.

#covid #FFRCA #Massachusetts #quarantine