In anticipation of the expiration of The Families First Coronavirus Response Act on Dec. 31, 2020, the State of Ohio and OCSEA certified an agreement to extend COVID-related sick leave to front line employees of the Institutional Agencies. OCSEA aggressively pressed the State of Ohio to include all front line union members in this agreement, but the Office of Collective Bargaining refused to extend the agreement in that way.
Accordingly, following expiration of the Act on Dec. 31, the following agreement is now in effect with the parties agreeing that COVID sick leave will continue to be available as provided below:
- For every employee of DR&C, DYS, MHAS, DODD, and DVS eligible for the COVID-related sick leave prior to December 31, 2020, an amount equivalent to the employee’s remaining balance in the “FF Coronavirus Sick for Self” bank will be credited to the “COVID Leave” bank.
- The leave will be available for use until March 31, 2021, under the same terms set forth by the agency for the COVID-related sick leave.
- The leave cannot be cashed out.
- If the Families First Coronavirus Response Act is extended, or an Act providing a similar benefit is enacted at the federal level, this agreement will be null and void.