Thursday, June 12, 2008
Assembly Approves Paid Sick Leave
On May 28, the California Assembly passed legislation that would make the state the first in the nation to ensure at least a week of paid sick leave for all workers.
Paid sick days could be used for a personal illness, to care for a sick family member, or to recover from domestic violence or sexual assault.
Nearly six million working Californians, or about 40% of the workforce, currently receive no paid sick days through their employers. Assembly woman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, said her Assembly Bill 2716 would protect those who are forced to choose between working while sick or losing pay.
"(It's) a win-win for workers and employers alike and is an important part of maintaining a healthy economy here in California," Ma said, "When employers offer paid sick days, employee morale is better, turnover is less, and health care costs decrease." Dr. Vicky Lovell of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research Institute concluded that AB 2716 will save California nearly $1 billion annually, primarily due to reduced turnover and reduced spread of illness in the workplace.
The Assembly approved the bill with no support from Republican, who said AB 2716 would impose a one-size-fits-all mandate that many small businesses simply could not afford. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken no position on the legislation, which now moves to the Senate, where Ma has indicated it will be heard in June.
Under AB 2716, businesses of 10 employees or more would be required to provide up to nine days of sick leave per year while those with fewer than 10 employees would provide up to five days. Full-time and part-time workers would earn one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. The benefit could be used after 90 days of employment.
AB 2716 is co-sponsored by the California Labor Federation and California Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, and is supported by a statewide coalition of over 50 organizations including local governments, health professionals and civil rights organizations.
"Simply put, workers should not live in fear of being fired when they take a day off when they or their children are sick," said Ma.
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the requirement would be overseen by the Department of Industrial Relations, whose costs would be about $600,000 annually if the bill were signed into law. The measure also could be enforced through civil lawsuits.
Paid sick days could be used for a personal illness, to care for a sick family member, or to recover from domestic violence or sexual assault.
Nearly six million working Californians, or about 40% of the workforce, currently receive no paid sick days through their employers. Assembly woman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, said her Assembly Bill 2716 would protect those who are forced to choose between working while sick or losing pay.
"(It's) a win-win for workers and employers alike and is an important part of maintaining a healthy economy here in California," Ma said, "When employers offer paid sick days, employee morale is better, turnover is less, and health care costs decrease." Dr. Vicky Lovell of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research Institute concluded that AB 2716 will save California nearly $1 billion annually, primarily due to reduced turnover and reduced spread of illness in the workplace.
The Assembly approved the bill with no support from Republican, who said AB 2716 would impose a one-size-fits-all mandate that many small businesses simply could not afford. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken no position on the legislation, which now moves to the Senate, where Ma has indicated it will be heard in June.
Under AB 2716, businesses of 10 employees or more would be required to provide up to nine days of sick leave per year while those with fewer than 10 employees would provide up to five days. Full-time and part-time workers would earn one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. The benefit could be used after 90 days of employment.
AB 2716 is co-sponsored by the California Labor Federation and California Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, and is supported by a statewide coalition of over 50 organizations including local governments, health professionals and civil rights organizations.
"Simply put, workers should not live in fear of being fired when they take a day off when they or their children are sick," said Ma.
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the requirement would be overseen by the Department of Industrial Relations, whose costs would be about $600,000 annually if the bill were signed into law. The measure also could be enforced through civil lawsuits.
Labels: Paid Sick Leave Bill
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Paid Sick Leave May Become California Statewide
On February 27, on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma introduced Assembly Bill 2716 (“AB 2716”) which, if passed, would make California the first state in the nation to require employers to provide sick leave benefits to their employees when they are sick or need time to take care of their sick family members. The bill is modeled after a San Francisco law that requires the city's employers to offer paid sick leave. The SF law, the first of its kind in the nation, went into effect last February.
Under AB 2716, any employee who works in California for 7 or more days in a calendar year would be entitled to paid sick time, which would accrue at a rate of at least one hour for every thirty hours worked, and no employee could be discriminated against for requesting sick leave. Most employers would be able to limit an employee's use to nine days in each calendar year, and small businesses with a maximum of ten workers would be allowed to limit annual paid sick days to five days. Sick time would carry over from year to year, and an employee would be entitled to use accrued sick time beginning on the 90th calendar day of employment.
Under Ma’s bill, paid sick days could be used to cover diagnosis, care, or treatment of health conditions of the employee; they could also be used to care for a sick family member or to recover from a domestic violence or sexual assault.
"Nobody wins when people have to go to work sick," Ma said. "This is just the right thing to do. We here in California want to make sure that when they are sick they do not have to worry about losing their jobs, they do not have to worry about losing a day’s pay.” Right now, nearly six million working Californians have no paid sick days through their employers. That’s approximately 40 percent of the state’s workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The bill was only recently introduced and it is difficult to determine if it will be passed through the Legislature, and whether its form and requirements will change along the way. However, voters would likely support such a law, according to sponsors, who cited a University of California, Los Angeles poll that shows 88 percent of California adults surveyed "agreed or agreed strongly that there should be a law guaranteeing paid sick days for all California workers."
If passed, the law would make California the first state in the country to guarantee paid sick days. Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio and Washington DC, are also considering similar legislation, according to Ma's office.
Under AB 2716, any employee who works in California for 7 or more days in a calendar year would be entitled to paid sick time, which would accrue at a rate of at least one hour for every thirty hours worked, and no employee could be discriminated against for requesting sick leave. Most employers would be able to limit an employee's use to nine days in each calendar year, and small businesses with a maximum of ten workers would be allowed to limit annual paid sick days to five days. Sick time would carry over from year to year, and an employee would be entitled to use accrued sick time beginning on the 90th calendar day of employment.
Under Ma’s bill, paid sick days could be used to cover diagnosis, care, or treatment of health conditions of the employee; they could also be used to care for a sick family member or to recover from a domestic violence or sexual assault.
"Nobody wins when people have to go to work sick," Ma said. "This is just the right thing to do. We here in California want to make sure that when they are sick they do not have to worry about losing their jobs, they do not have to worry about losing a day’s pay.” Right now, nearly six million working Californians have no paid sick days through their employers. That’s approximately 40 percent of the state’s workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The bill was only recently introduced and it is difficult to determine if it will be passed through the Legislature, and whether its form and requirements will change along the way. However, voters would likely support such a law, according to sponsors, who cited a University of California, Los Angeles poll that shows 88 percent of California adults surveyed "agreed or agreed strongly that there should be a law guaranteeing paid sick days for all California workers."
If passed, the law would make California the first state in the country to guarantee paid sick days. Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio and Washington DC, are also considering similar legislation, according to Ma's office.
Labels: Paid Sick Leave Bill
