§ 826.40 - Employer coverage.

§ 826.40 Employer coverage.

(a) Private Employers. Any private entity or individual who employs fewer than 500 Employees must provide Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section or in § 826.30(c).

(1) To determine the number of Employees employed, the Employer must count all full-time and part-time Employees employed within the United States at the time the Employee would take leave. For purposes of this count, every part-time Employee is counted as if he or she were a full-time Employee.

(i) For this purpose, “within the United States” means any State within the United States, the District of Columbia, or any Territory or possession of the United States.

(ii) The number of Employees includes:

(A) All Employees currently employed, regardless of how long those Employees have worked for the Employer;

(B) Any Employees on leave of any kind;

(C) Employees of temporary placement agencies who are jointly employed under the FLSA, see part 791 of this chapter, by the Employer and another Employer (regardless of which Employer's payroll the Employee appears on); and

(D) Day laborers supplied by a temporary placement agency (regardless of whether the Employer is the temporary placement agency or the client firm).

(iii) The number of Employees does not include workers who are independent contractors, rather than Employees, under the FLSA. Nor does the number of Employees include workers who have been laid off or furloughed and have not subsequently been reemployed.

(2) To determine the number of Employees employed, all common Employees of joint employers or all Employees of integrated employers must be counted together.

(i) Typically, a corporation (including its separate establishments or divisions) is considered a single Employer and all of its Employees must be counted together.

(ii) Where one corporation has an ownership interest in another corporation, the two corporations are separate Employers unless they are joint employers under the FLSA, see part 791 of this chapter, with respect to certain Employees.

(iii) In general, two or more entities are separate Employers unless they meet the integrated employer test under the FMLA. See § 825.104(c)(2) of this chapter. If two entities are an integrated employer under this test, then Employees of all entities making up the integrated employer must be counted.

(b) Exemption from requirement to provide leave under the EPSLA Section 5102(a)(5) and the EFMLEA for Employers with fewer than 50 Employees.

(1) An Employer, including a religious or nonprofit organization, with fewer than 50 Employees (small business) is exempt from providing Paid Sick Leave under the EPSLA and Expanded Family and Medical Leave under the EFMLEA when the imposition of such requirements would jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern. A small business under this section is entitled to this exemption if an authorized officer of the business has determined that:

(i) The leave requested under either section 102(a)(1)(F) of the FMLA or section 5102(a)(5) of the EPSLA would result in the small business's expenses and financial obligations exceeding available business revenues and cause the small business to cease operating at a minimal capacity;

(ii) The absence of the Employee or Employees requesting leave under either section 102(a)(1)(F) of the FMLA or section 5102(a)(5) of the EPSLA would entail a substantial risk to the financial health or operational capabilities of the business because of their specialized skills, knowledge of the business, or responsibilities; or

(iii) There are not sufficient workers who are able, willing, and qualified, and who will be available at the time and place needed, to perform the labor or services provided by the Employee or Employees requesting leave under either section 102(a)(1)(F) of the FMLA or section 5102(a)(5) of the EPSLA, and these labor or services are needed for the small business to operate at a minimal capacity.

(2) To elect this small business exemption, the Employer must document that a determination has been made pursuant to the criteria set forth by the Department in § 826.40(b)(1). The Employer should not send such documentation to the Department, but rather retain the records in its files.

(3) Regardless of whether a small Employer chooses to exempt one or more Employees, the Employer is still required to post a notice pursuant to § 826.80.

(c) Public Employers.

(1) Any public Employer must provide its Employees Paid Sick Leave except as provided in § 826.30(c) through (d).

(2) Any public Employer must provide its Eligible Employees Expanded Family and Medical Leave, except as provided in paragraph (c)(3) of this section and in § 826.30(c) through (d).

(3) The EFMLEA amended only Title I of the FMLA, resulting in a divide in coverage as to Employees of the United States and of agencies of the United States (Federal Employees). Federal Employees covered by Title I of the FMLA are eligible for Expanded Family and Medical Leave. But most Federal Employees are instead covered under Title II of the FMLA, which was not amended by the EFMLEA. Such Federal Employees are not within the EFMLEA's purview and are therefore not eligible for Expanded Family and Medical Leave. The Federal Employees covered by Title I of the FMLA are therefore eligible for Expanded Family and Medical Leave, subject to the limitations and exceptions set forth in § 826.30(b) through (d), including:

(i) Employees of the U.S. Postal Service;

(ii) Employees of the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission;

(iii) Part-time Employees who do not have an established regular tour of duty during the administrative workweek;

(iv) Employees serving under an intermittent appointment or temporary appointment with a time limitation of one year or less;

(v) Employees of the Government Accountability Office;

(vi) Employees of the Library of Congress; and

(vii) Other Federal Employees not covered by Title II of the FMLA.