On Tuesday, the Oregon Health Authority sent a helpful reminder about a little-publicized benefit available to eligible Oregon employees in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: temporary paid leave funded by the State of Oregon and administered by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (“DCBS”). Generally, the program provides $120 per day up to a maximum of 10 working days to employees who are unable to work or telework because they are required to self-isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure or symptoms and do not otherwise have access to paid time off.
Here are the specific eligibility requirements:
- The employee must work in Oregon and be required to file an Oregon personal income tax return. (Note: the paid leave amounts are taxable.)
- The employee must have been directed to quarantine by a local or tribal public health authority or health care provider because of exposure to someone infected or have COVID-19-related symptoms and be seeking a medical diagnosis.
- The employee must not be able to work (including telework) because of the need to quarantine or isolate.
- The employee does not expect to earn more than $60,000 individually or $120,000 jointly in 2020.
- The employee’s employer does not provide COVID-19-related paid sick leave, or the employee has exhausted his or her available COVID-19-related paid sick leave.
- The employee must not be applying for unemployment insurance benefits for the time off due to quarantine or isolation.
- The employee must not be applying for workers’ compensation benefits for the time off due to quarantine or isolation or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
- The employee must not be seeking or using benefits from similar COVID-19 quarantine relief programs in Oregon or another state.
- The employee must not be applying for or receiving other forms of paid leave from the employer during quarantine or isolation, such as banked sick leave or vacation leave.
- The employee must not have been laid off or furloughed by the employer.
- The employee must have notified the employer of the need to quarantine or isolate.
- An employee can claim only one quarantine period.
- The employee must not be self-employed.
Employees who wish to apply for the leave must do so through DCBS using a form available at oregon.gov/covidpaidleave. DCBS has also published a flier with information about the benefit and set up a telephone resource center that can be reached at 833-685-0850 or 503-947-0130.
The program is funded with $30 million received from the federal government to help Oregonians respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus far, the state has distributed just under $2 million in benefits. The program will conclude when all funds have been distributed, or by December 31, 2020, whichever comes first.