“Clean-up” amendments to the paid sick leave law went into effect on July 13.
The changes were part of urgency legislation passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, AB 304 (Gonzales; D-San Diego).
AB 304 adjusts how the law—the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014—is implemented. The changes were intended to provide clarification and address some areas where employers expressed concern. Among other things, the amendments:
• Clarify who is a covered worker;
• Exempt retired annuitants;
• Provide alternative accrual methods other than one hour for every 30 hours worked;
• Clarify protections for employers that already provided paid sick leave or paid time off before January 1, 2015 (a grandfather clause);
• Provide alternative methods for paying employees who use paid sick leave;
• Explain the rules regarding reinstatement of benefits to rehired employees; and
• Address unlimited sick leave policies.
White Paper
California Chamber of Commerce members can download our white paper, The Who, What, When and How of Mandatory Paid Sick Leave in California: New Amendments Effective July 13, 2015—it’s updated to reflect the recent amendments.
Not a CalChamber member? Visit HRCalifornia to download the updated white paper.
CalChamber’s Paid Sick Leave resources, including the HR Library’s Paid Sick Leave page, the Employee Handbook Creator and the Paid Sick Leave Policy Template ($124.99 value, free to members) have been updated to reflect these new amendments.
More information, including a paid sick leave update recorded webinar, is available at calchamber.com/paidsickleave.
