paid sick leave

Sick of It Yet? The DLSE Issued New Paid Sick Leave FAQs

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Paid sick leave remains an epidemic that won’t quit.  Since California enacted the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (Cal. Lab. Code § 245, et seq.) (“California Paid Sick Leave”), paid sick leave laws have spread to both state and local levels, requiring employers to maneuver a patchwork of laws.  These laws left several unanswered questions in their wake.  Indeed, the unanswered questions were so numerous that the California Legislature passed a fix-it bill of amendments revising and clarifying California Paid Sick Leave only a few months after it took effect.  Despite the fix-it bill, several questions remained.

On March 29, 2017, the California Labor Commissioner, through the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (the “DLSE”), attempted to provide further guidance by issuing an update to its California Paid Sick Leave: Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”).  The updated FAQs address questions regarding the use of “grandfathered” paid time off (“PTO”) policies and the intersection of California Paid Sick Leave and employer attendance policies.  Here are the takeaways: READ MORE →

Time for a Check-Up: 5 More Sick Leave Laws Await Employers on July 1, 2017

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There’s been no shortage of paid sick leave laws at the state and local level over the last few years. We have covered this growing patchwork of laws and the challenges they present for employers since this trend emerged a couple years back.

The latest round of sick leave laws to take effect did not go unchallenged. In fact, the new laws discussed in this post have already faced opposition in three forms: (1) a legal challenge in court; (2) a spate of defecting municipalities opting out of a county ordinance; and (3) a state-level preemption bill aimed at blocking local sick leave laws.

For now, it appears that each of these efforts has failed, and on July 1, 2017, five paid sick leave laws take effect. Out West, Arizona will become the sixth state to enact a paid sick leave law.  And in the Midwest, Chicago and Cook County, IL (where Chicago is located) and Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN will each see their paid sick leave laws take effect.  Below is an overview of these soon-to-be laws.

While these five laws will certainly provide plenty for employers to think about between now and July, the wave of sick leave laws shows no signs of receding; currently, there’s talk of legislation in Michigan, Maine, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Maryland. READ MORE →

It’s Contagious: Paid Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Hikes Spread to Los Angeles and San Diego

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Paid sick leave is on the rise, as we reported here, here, here, and here.  As we approach the one-year compliance anniversary for state-mandated paid sick leave, employers now face additional compliance wrinkles in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets.  Earlier this month, both Los Angeles and San Diego passed paid sick leave and minimum wage ordinances that take effect (and require compliance) as soon July 2016.

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One Step Closer to Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors

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The Department of Labor (“DOL”) continues its regulatory dash to fulfill the President’s domestic agenda.  The agency issued proposed rules, that seek to make President Obama’s Executive Order 13706, Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors signed on September 7, 2015, into a reality.  The DOL solicits any comments on the proposed rules on or before March 28, 2016.  Once effective, employees of certain federal contractors would be entitled to paid leave akin to the leave now in place in 4 states, the District of Columbia, and 27 other localities that are entitled to paid sick leave.

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Pennsylvania Plaintiffs Launch Successful Attack on Pittsburgh’s Local Paid Sick Leave

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The proliferation of paid sick leave (PSL) laws has been well-documented in the last few years.  California’s PSL statute has received particular attention in this blog, but Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Oregon have also adopted similar state-wide legislation.  And it is not just the states that are rolling out requirements for PSL; dozens of cities and counties have also adopted PSL ordinances (oftentimes in states that already have similar laws in place).  Major municipal adopters include New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Newark, and Philadelphia.

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New Year, New Laws: A Summary of Hot Button Employment Laws to Hit the Books in 2016

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From coast to coast, as the calendar turned to 2016, a host of new employment laws became effective.  States and local government are imposing broad obligations on employers well above what federal law requires.  This patchwork of legal requirements will continue to bedevil employers.  As you begin implementing your resolutions for 2016, here’s our take on the major changes that went into effect across the nation last week:

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Chicken Soup for CA Employers: How to Stay Healthy When Implementing Your Sick Leave Plan

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The new California paid sick leave law is now “in effect” (as we reported here and here) and you are ramping up your HR and payroll team to get ready for July 1 when employees can start accruing sick leave under the law.  But now that you’re digging into the details, you’re realizing that this isn’t as easy as you thought.  Don’t worry, you’re not alone.  There are a few subtleties to the sick leave law that are catching more than a few employers off guard.  But fear not, here are some tips to help you implement your sick leave plan:

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To Your Health: California Enacts Broad Sick Leave Law

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On September 10, 2014, Governor Brown signed into law the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (AB 1522), making California only the second state to require paid sick leave.  In a press release, the Governor’s office stated that this bill will provide sick leave to about 40 percent of California’s workforce, or 6.5 million workers, who do not currently receive this benefit.

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