In late January, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he and the legislature had reached an agreement on a framework to revive COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL), which expired in September 2021. However, there was no bill and only speculation on what coverage would look like.
On February 2, 2022, Assembly Bill 84, which details the newest version of SPSL, was released. Though still pending in the state legislature, there has been a promise by the state to move quickly to pass this bill. As a budget bill, once signed by the governor, the bill will take effect immediately. A mirror version, Senate Bill 114, is anticipated to be released in the California Senate. It is common for budget-related bills to have mirror bills in both the Assembly and the Senate to allow them to move more quickly through the legislature. Whichever bill moves more quickly is likely to be final.
Here are the details that employers need to know to date:
As with SPSL passed in 2021, this new SPSL benefit will apply retroactively to January 1, 2022.
As with the 2021 version, employers with more than 25 employees will be required to comply with SPSL.
Full and part-time employees are entitled to SPSL if the employee is unable to work or telework for any of the reasons detailed in the legislation. There is no length of service requirement for the leave entitlement.
Covered employees are entitled to...
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