Like many illnesses, monkeypox comes in a range of severity and symptoms. Some cases are severe enough that an employee may need to quarantine away from co-workers and customers for several weeks. Managers and HR professionals need to be prepared to answer questions about taking a longer-term leave for a monkeypox infection.
"Generally speaking, employers should allow employees who contract monkeypox to isolate per U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to protect their other employees and customers [and] clients from contracting the virus, as well," said Aymara Ledezma, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Los Angeles.
When the recovery is likely to take two or three weeks, there are several leave options to consider. Depending on the state and the employee's condition, paid leave might be required.
"It depends," said Amy Epstein Gluck, an attorney with FisherBroyles in Washington, D.C. "Many employers are in states that have mandatory paid or unpaid sick leave, and many employers simply provide a certain amount of paid or unpaid sick leave in their employee handbooks. Employers can allow employees to use vacation or paid time off leave, too. The FMLA [Family and Medical Leave Act] is possible, if the employee is eligible, and the employer employs 50 or more within a 75-mile radius. Short-term disability is an option, as well."
Employers can always choose to provide more paid or unpaid leave than required by law.
Monkeypox Symptoms and Time Frame...
Alex Murdaugh's defense team and state prosecutors are engaged in a contentious dispute over evidence ahead of his murder retrial. The defense claims prosecutors are withholding complete cell pho...