TAKEAWAYS

• Employers with 26 or more employees are required to comply with the new COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave starting February 19, 2022, but employer obligations will be retroactive to January 1, 2022, and remain in effect until September 30, 2022, under California Labor Code Section 248.6.

• The total maximum amount of new COVID-19 paid sick leave is not to exceed 80 hours, divided into two 40-hour categories with different qualifications and limitations, and a total current payout limitation of $5,110.

• This new COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave is not identical to its 2021 predecessor, so employers will need to update their policies and practices accordingly. This new supplemental paid leave is in addition to state and municipal paid sick leave requirements.

On Wednesday, February 9, 2022, as COVID-19 cases are on a downward trend in California compared to the start of the new year, Governor Newsom signed SB114 into law, which requires employers to provide additional supplemental paid sick leave for various COVID-19 vaccination, isolation and infection events (CPSL). The legislation was propelled by the lobbying efforts of labor unions after California’s previous supplemental COVID-19 paid sick leave (SPSL) expired in September 2021. Although CPSL contains many of the same provisions as its SPSL cousin, there are small but important differences between CPSL and the prior supplemental paid sick leave. There are no offsetting tax credits for employers,...

Read Full Story: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/one-more-time-2022-covid-19-9378498/