California Mandates COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave for Workers

California has enacted a new law that requires supplemental paid sick leave statewide for workers for COVID-19-related purposes, effective Sept. 19, 2020. Under the law, employers must provide leave to individuals who were exempted from emergency paid sick leave under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

Covered Workers

 Workers are eligible for paid leave under California’s new law if:

• Their employer has 500 or more employees in the United States; or  
• The worker is a health care provider or emergency responder whose employer elected to exclude those workers from the FFCRA’s emergency paid sick leave requirements.

In addition, the individual must be unable to work because:

• He or she is subject to a federal, state or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19;
• A health care provider has advised him or her to self-quarantine or self-isolate due to concerns related to COVID-19; or
• The employer has prohibited him or her from working due to health concerns related to potential transmission of COVID-19.

Individuals who do not leave their residence to work for their employer are not eligible. Certain food sector workers covered by a separate leave requirement are also exempt.

Amount of Leave The new law allows full-time workers to receive up to 80 hours of paid leave. Part-time workers may receive benefits equal to the total number of hours they are normally scheduled to work over two weeks.

Source – Zywave, Inc.