§ 826.160 - Effect on other laws, employer practices, and collective bargaining agreements.

§ 826.160 Effect on other laws, employer practices, and collective bargaining agreements.

(a) No diminishment of other rights or benefits.

(1) An Employee's entitlement to, or actual use of, Paid Sick Leave under the EPSLA is in addition to - and shall not in any way diminish, reduce, or eliminate - any other right or benefit, including regarding Paid Sick Leave, to which the Employee is entitled under any of the following:

(i) Another Federal, State, or local law, except the FMLA as provided in § 826.70;

(ii) A collective bargaining agreement; or

(iii) An Employer policy that existed prior to April 1, 2020.

(2) That an Employee already used any type of leave prior to April 1, 2020, for reasons related to COVID-19 or otherwise, shall not be grounds for his or her Employer to deny him or her Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave or for the Employer to delay or postpone the Employee's use of Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave. The foregoing is subject to the exception of FMLA leave as provided in § 826.70. An Employer shall permit an Employee to immediately use the Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave to which he or she is entitled under the EPSLA and the EFMLEA. However, no Employer is obligated or required to provide, and no Employee has a right or entitlement to receive, any retroactive reimbursement or financial compensation through Paid Sick Leave or Expanded Family and Medical Leave for any unpaid or partially paid leave taken prior to April 1, 2020, even if such leave was taken for COVID-19-reated reasons.

(b) Sequencing of Paid Sick Leave.

(1) An Employee may first use Paid Sick Leave before using any other leave to which he or she is entitled by any:

(i) Other Federal, State, or local law;

(ii) Collective bargaining agreement; or

(iii) Employer policy that existed prior to April 1, 2020.

(2) No Employer may require, coerce, or unduly influence any Employee to first use any other paid leave to which the Employee is entitled before the Employee uses Paid Sick Leave. Nor may an Employer require, coerce, or unduly influence an Employee to use any source or type of unpaid leave prior to taking Paid Sick Leave.

(c) Sequencing of Expanded Family and Medical Leave.

(1) Consistent with section 102(d)(2)(B) of the FMLA, 29 U.S.C. 2612(d)(2)(B), an Eligible Employee may elect to use, or an Employer may require that an Eligible Employee use, provided or accrued leave available to the Eligible Employee for the purpose set forth in § 826.20(b) under the Employer's policies, such as vacation or personal leave or paid time off, concurrently with Expanded Family and Medical Leave.

(2) If an Eligible Employee elects, or an Employer requires, concurrent leave, the Employer must pay the Eligible Employee the full amount to which the Eligible Employee is entitled under the Employer's preexisting paid leave policy for the period of leave taken.

(d) No creation of requirements upon end of employment. An Employer has no obligation to provide - and an Employee or former Employee has no right or entitlement to receive - financial compensation or other reimbursement for unused Paid Sick Leave or Expanded Family and Medical Leave upon the Employee's termination, resignation, retirement, or any other separation from employment.

(e) No creation of requirements upon expiration. An Employer has no obligation to provide - and an Employee or former Employee has no right or entitlement to receive - financial compensation or other reimbursement for unused Paid Sick Leave or Expanded Family and Medical Leave upon the expiration of the FFCRA on December 31, 2020.

(f) One time use. Any person is limited to a total of 80 hours Paid Sick Leave. An Employee who has taken all such leave and then changes Employers is not entitled to additional Paid Sick Leave from his or her new Employer. An Employee who has taken some, but fewer than 80 hours of Paid Sick Leave, and then changes Employers is entitled only to the remaining portion of such leave from his or her new Employer and only if his or her new Employer is covered by the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act. Such an Employee's Paid Sick Leave would expire upon reaching 80 hours of Paid Sick Leave total, regardless of the Employer providing it, or when the Employee reaches the number of hours of Paid Sick Leave to which he or she is entitled based on a part-time schedule with the new Employer.