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COVID sick pay could return to California soon.
The LA Times reports Governor Gavin Newsom and state legislators reached a deal Tuesday to once again require up to two weeks of paid leave for employees who either test positive or have to care for a family member with COVID. The sick pay law would apply to California businesses with 26 or more employees. According to the Los Angeles Times, state legislature has passed a law similar to this in the past that provided 80 hours of supplemental sick leave for workers.
Employers will also be required to provide up to 40 hours of flexible paid leave to full-time workers who are sick and caring for family members, and would need proof of a positive test to receive an additional 40 hours of time off. Part-time workers are eligible for sick leave equal to the amount of hours they work in a week, as long as their is proof of a positive test. The legislation also includes additional funding for bolstering testing capacity at sites, accelerate booster and vaccination administration efforts and strengthen the healthcare systems at the local levels.
Once passed, the law would be retroactive to January 1st and last until September 30th.