Legal aid helps people access COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Program

Greater Boston Legal Services recently helped a woman receive paid sick leave through the state’s COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Program. The case was featured in a Feb. 8 article in WWLP (from State House News Service).

Vania Birchmore, a server at a rehabilitation center in Danvers, was diagnosed with COVID-19 in November 2020 and sought time off from work to recover. Her employer had previously offered paid time off for employees who contracted the virus, but when she asked her boss for paid sick leave, she was denied.

Birchmore contacted GBLS. An advocate reached out to Birchmore’s company, which agreed to provide reimbursable paid sick leave through the state’s COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Program.

Advocates say that many people have faced a similar dilemma, and the emergency offering is helping low-income workers forced to choose between work and their general health.

Read more at WWLP.com.