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The government of California signed a law this Wednesday to extend COVID supplemental paid sick leave for workers.
Legislation will apply for companies with 26 employees or more.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the new law in a Mexican food restaurant in the city of San Francisco, in the Bay Area.
LIVE NOW: Governor @GavinNewsom signs legislation to extend COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave and bolster investments to support small businesses hit hardest by the pandemic. https://t.co/JMYTOyhjHd
—Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) February 9, 2021
On Monday, the California Legislature approved the bill that requires employees to receive up to two weeks of paid time off in case of falling infected with COVID.
California had a similar law last year, which ended in September. The legislation signed this Wednesday by Newsom contemplates being retroactive to January 1 of this year.
Thus, California becomes the fourth state to require paid time off for workers who get sick from coronavirus . Similar rules remain in effect in Massachusetts, Colorado, and New York, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Five other states (Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington) have paid sick leave laws that, while not specific to COVID, can be used to cover time off due to coronavirus.
Excludes 1 in 4 workers in California
For not considering employers with 26 workers or less, will be excluded from the new law 1 in 4 workers in California.
Without additional leave, most employees in California are entitled legal just 3 paid sick days.
When the pandemic started coronavirus, the federal government reimbursed employers COVID sick leave, even small employers, but in September 2021 both state law and federal refunds expired.
The California Department of Public Health has guidelines that workers who test positive for COVID or are exposed to the virus must self-isolate for at least five days .
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