California’s Paid Sick Leave Law Took Effect on July 1, 2015 for Your Business
Under California’s Paid Sick Leave law, all California employers, regardless of size, were required to provide Paid Sick Leave to their employees beginning July 1, 2015. This law applies to almost every type of employee, including temporary, part-time, and seasonal.
Some basics of this law include:
- Employees accrue at least one hour of Paid Sick Leave for every 30 hours worked, beginning July 1, 2015 or the first day worked (whichever is later).
- Employees may use their accrued sick leave beginning on the 90th day of employment. However, employers may authorize them to use it before that.
- Employees may use their sick leave to care for themselves or a wide variety of family members.
- Employers may limit the use of paid sick days to 24 hours or three days in each year of employment.
- Accrued sick leave must be carried over to the following year of employment, and may be capped at 48 hours or six days, only if the employer has established a maximum accrual. However, no carry over is required if employees are given the total 24 hours or three days, “front-loaded,” at the beginning of each year.
- Employers must display a poster informing employees of their rights in a conspicuous place, and must provide employees with written notice of their rights under this law upon hiring.
- Employers may not retaliate or discriminate against employees for requesting and/or using paid sick days.
Please contact the Law Office of Karen J. Sloat for a review of your company’s current sick leave policies and practices. We can help you successfully navigate this law and ensure that your policies are in compliance.
