On January 14th, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services extended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for an additional 90 days. In Colorado, the Healthy Family Workplaces Act mandates supplemental PHE pay for the following reasons:
- illness with COVID symptoms
- quarantining or isolating due to COVID exposure
- COVID testing
- vaccination and side effects
- inability to work due to health conditions that may increase susceptibility or risk of COVID
- COVID-related needs of family (illness, school closure, etc.).
The extension of the federal PHE means that the PHE will remain in effect until at least April 16, 2022, and the HFWA COVID-19 pay requirement will then continue another four weeks following that date. Keep in mind, however, that there is no guarantee the federal PHE will not be extended again, hence extending Colorado’s mandatory PHE pay requirement.