Lawmaker Wants To Shield Workers Quarantined, Isolated Due To Coronavirus

California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez announced that she is introducing new legislation to protect workers if they take time off during public health emergencies, like the one Governor Gavin Newsom declared on Wednesday afternoon due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus. The virus has now been reported in 12 counties in the state, sickened more than 50 people, and been responsible for the death of at least one person.

"Workers shouldn't be fired if they miss work because they've been quarantined or isolated due to a public health emergency like the coronavirus," said the Democrat from San Diego. "We need to support workers so they can take every action necessary to prevent the spreading of this disease."  However, Gonzalez didn't cite any specific instances in which employers had disciplined or gone so far as to terminate workers who had missed time for that reason.

The Assembly bill authored by Gonzalez, AB 3123, would allow an employee to use accrued sick leave if the business they work for is closed by order of a public official. It would also allow them to take that time off to care for their child, whose school or childcare provider is shutdown due to a public health emergency. 

The bill would make illegal for employers to fire or in anyway retaliate against an employee who is given an order by a public health official to be quarantined or otherwise isolated.

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