A bill recently introduced in the California Legislature would more than double the amount of paid sick days that employers must provide to their workers. The proposal would raise the number of paid sick days from three to seven per year and modify the way the leave must be accrued.
Under existing law, an employer must allow an employee's total accrual of paid sick leave to reach 48 hours or six days per year. The proposal would increase that threshold to 112 hours or 14 days. For unused sick time, workers would be permitted to roll over 56 hours or seven sick days to the following year.
"It is going to be imperative that employers have systems in place to ensure that employees are accruing sick days appropriately," said Tyler Rasmussen, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Irvine, Calif.
No accrual or carryover is required if workers receive their full amount of leave at the beginning of each calendar year or 12-month period. Employers don't have to provide compensation to employees for their accrued, unused sick days upon termination, resignation or retirement.
The bill would apply to employees who work in California for the same employer for 30 or more days within a year from the start of employment. Employees would be entitled to use their accrued paid sick days beginning on their 90th day of employment.
If passed, the bill would take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Regarding the bill's chances for passage, Rasmussen said, "It is still too early to tell; however, I think the...
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