U.S. Department of Labor Continues Effort to Raise Awareness of Paid Sick Leave and Lawful Pay Requirements Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

WASHINGTON, DC – As part of its comprehensive response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor is educating workers with a public awareness campaign about workplace rights amid the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign includes a series of public service announcements in English and Spanish with information about the new paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave benefits available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), and other worker protections.

The campaign includes TV ads, radio spot, billboards, educational videos, digital guides and social media messaging. The outreach serves to inform workers of their rights and employers about their responsibilities, and encourages those with questions or concerns about leave or pay – or, for agricultural workers, workplace safety – to contact their local WHD office. The campaign’s radio spots are currently airing and so far have reached more than 12 million listeners nationwide. Similar TV spots will begin airing this fall.

“The Wage and Hour Division remains laser-focused on ensuring that the American workforce has the information needed to ensure workers can utilize the benefits and protections available to them as the economy continues to ramp up and schools reopen,” said Wage and Hour Division Administrator Cheryl Stanton. “The public information effort has already reached millions, and we remain confident that as the effort continues we will reach many millions more. Getting this critical information to workers and employers when they need it most remains a top priority.”

Since the FFCRA became law in March 2020, WHD has published extensive guidance for workers during this crisis, such as FFCRA Questions and Answers, webinars and on online tool to determine if you are eligible for paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave. WHD has held nearly 2,000 outreach events nationwide in 2020 on the FFCRA paid leave benefits and protections.

Download the radio and TV public service announcements.

Learn more about the FFCRA or other laws enforced by WHD, or call 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).

WHD’s mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation’s workforce. WHD enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. WHD also enforces the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and a number of employment standards and worker protections as provided in several immigration related statutes. Additionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act and other statutes applicable to federal contracts for construction and for the provision of goods and services.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.