Editor’s note: In the coming weeks and months, an outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States could leave workers scrambling to figure out what happens to their job – and their pay – if the new coronavirus prevents them from reporting to work. The answer will depend on your employer’s policy, the laws of your state and the reason you will be away. Elizabeth Tippett, who has spent over a dozen years as a workplace lawyer and scholar, offers a primer.
