How do I compute the number of hours I must pay my employee who has irregular hours for each day of expanded family and medical leave taken?

Generally, under the FFCRA, you are required to pay your employee for each day of expanded family and medical leave taken based on the number of hours the employee was normally scheduled to work that day. If your employee works an irregular schedule such that it is not possible to determine the number of hours he or she would normally work on that day, and the employee has been employed for at least six months, you must determine the employee’s average workday hours, including any leave hours. The average must be based on the number of hours your employee was scheduled to work per workday (not calendar day) divided by the number of workdays over the six-month period ending on the first day of your employee’s paid expanded family and medical leave. This average must include all scheduled hours, including both hours actually worked and hours for which the employee took leave.

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Consider the examples below involving two employees with irregular schedules who take leave on April 13, 2020. For both employees, the six-month period would consist of 183 calendar days from October 14, 2019, to April 13, 2020.

The first employee worked 1,150 hours over 130 workdays, and took a total of 50 hours of personal and medical leave. The total number of hours the employee was scheduled to work (including all leave taken) was 1,200 hours. The number of hours per workday is computed by dividing 1,200 hours by the 130 workdays, which is 9.2 hours per workday. You must therefore pay the first employee for 9.2 hours per workday times 2/3 his or her regular rate for each day of expanded family and medical leave taken, subject to a $200 per day cap and $10,000 maximum.

The second employee, in contrast, worked 550 hours over 100 workdays, and took a total of 100 hours of personal and medical leave. The total number of hours the employee was scheduled to work, including all leave taken, was 650 hours. The number of hours per workday is computed by dividing 650 hours by the 100 workdays, which is 6.5 hours per workday. You must therefore pay the second employee for 6.5 hours per workday times 2/3 his or her regular rate for each day of expanded family and medical leave taken, subject to a $200 per day cap and $10,000 maximum.