Judge Voids Trump Administration Restrictions on Coronavirus Sick Leave

A U.S. judge on Monday voided parts of a Trump administration rule that, according to New York’s attorney general, illegally restricted paid sick leave for workers affected by the coronavirus.

U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan struck down provisions excusing some employers from providing paid sick leave if they lacked work for affected employees, and denying benefits to eligible workers by including them in an overly broad definition of “healthcare provider.”

Oetken also set aside requirements that workers obtain their employers’ consent for intermittent leave and document their reasons for sick leave in advance. Other provisions were allowed to stand.

The U.S. Department of Labor adopted the rule in April to implement the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which Congress passed the previous month.

Neither the Labor Department nor the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James responded immediately to requests for comment.