Earlier this month, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation that increases the paid sick leave that employers are required to give workers from three days to five per year starting January 1, 2024.
Senate Bill 616 by state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, also increases the number of accrued paid sick days workers can carry into the next year.
Existing COVID-sick pay mandates were set to expire this month, but the bill requires California companies with 26 or more employees to continue providing up to 80 hours of additional paid sick leave to employees unable to work because of COVID. It also covers sick leave for workers taking time off to care for infected family members.
“Too many folks are still having to choose between skipping a day’s pay and taking care of themselves or their family members when they get sick,” Newsom said. “We’re making it known that the health and wellbeing of workers and their families is of the utmost importance for California’s future.”
Newsom's Office notes why they feel this is important:
Working sick costs the national economy $273 billion annually in lost productivity.
Two days of unpaid sick time is nearly the equivalent of a month’s worth of groceries.
Offering sick days helps save employers money through improved productivity and morale, as well as reduced presenteeism and turnover.
Increasing access to paid sick days reduces health care costs, with evidence showing that when workers have paid sick days such costs go down and workers’ health benefits.
