Citywide Policy Would Double Existing California State Mandate
The City’s Economic Development Committee took action on April 12 that would guarantee Los Angeles workers 48 hours of paid sick leave annually to take care of themselves, an ill family member or loved one.
The proposed ordinance is modeled after existing California law, which grants individuals with 24 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year. The city’s paid sick leave policy would double the amount of time an employee is entitled to effective July 1, 2016—at the same time the Los Angeles minimum wage increases to $10.50.
“It’s critical that we move forward at this time because implementation of the first scheduled pay increase is just around the corner,” said Councilman Curren Price, who led the charge to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020. “It does not do an employee any good to receive a higher wage, only to risk being fired because they have to take unexpected time off for special circumstances that are unforeseeable.
“I personally cannot imagine not being able to take time off because I had the flu or to care for my wife if she were ill. This is a right that most of us enjoy and have even come to take for granted.”
In June, 2015, Los Angeles became the largest city in the country to phase in a $15 minimum wage. Effective July 1 of each year, the minimum wage will gradually increase to $12 by 2017; $13.25 by 2018; $14.25 by 2019; and lastly to $15 per hour by 2020.
On Tuesday, the Economic Development Committee recommended a plan that would require employers to provide 48 hours of paid sick leave up front or accrued at the rate of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
Other key highlights of the legislation include:
The proposal would apply to employees who work for the same employer for a minimum of 30 days.
Employees can begin using paid sick leave once they have worked for an employer for 90 days.
Accrued paid sick leave can be rolled over to the following year of employment and may be capped at 72 hours.
Employers would not need to pay out accrued or unused sick days when an employee leaves a company.
The committee’s recommendations are expected to go before the City Council for a vote later this month. The policy is expected to go into effect beginning July 1.
“I’m confident that we’re moving forward with a sound policy that not only protects the rights of workers, but also one that is fair to businesses and their bottom line,” Price said.
