---
title: "Coronavirus and Franchising"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/c1cbe181-fffe-4466-ae28-2d171c4ebdd9
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/eater-a-running-list-of-the-chains-providing-and-not-providing-paid-sick-leave-2712535
category: "Franchisors"
industry: "Franchise Industry"
segment: "Franchisors"
topics: ["Regulation & legal"]
published: 2020-03-17T14:09:32.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:28:19.644Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/075f925cbda57d2c6d9ec8da388572d194.jpg
---

# Coronavirus and Franchising

**TL;DR:** Congress passed a coronavirus relief package that guarantees paid sick leave for workers at companies with 500 or fewer employees, but most national chains are not covered and must pay for employees' paid sick leave themselves. Chains like McDonald's, Domino's, and Yum Brands' franchise restaurants are offering paid sick leave, but only for employees at corporate-owned stores.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2020-03-17. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/eater-a-running-list-of-the-chains-providing-and-not-providing-paid-sick-leave-2712535).*

## Story

**Over the weekend,** **Congress passed an emergency Coronavirus relief package** **that provided guaranteed paid sick leave for workers across the country, with one massive exception: the bill only covers employees of companies with 500 or fewer workers, meaning** **the vast majority national chains are not covered** **by the tens of billions of dollars allocated by the bill and must pay for employees’ paid sick leave themselves — or not.**

**So, which chains are stepping up to provide paid sick leave for their employees?** **EATER has compiled a running list.**

**Most of the chains providing paid sick leave do so with a crucial carve out for the franchise industry. McDonald’s, Domino’s and and each of Yum Brands’ franchise restaurants are offering paid sick leave, but only for employees at corporate-owned stores, leaving franchisees to decide whether and how they will compensate employees who cannot work during the COVID-19 outbreak.**

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Franchise Industry (sector)
- McDonald's (company)
- Domino's (company)
- Yum Brands (company)
- franchise industry (topic)
- Congress (regulator)
- coronavirus relief (topic)
- paid sick leave (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/eater-a-running-list-of-the-chains-providing-and-not-providing-paid-sick-leave-2712535). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/c1cbe181-fffe-4466-ae28-2d171c4ebdd9).