30 Jun California Paid Sick Leave Law
New Paid Sick Leave Requirements in California effective 7/1/15 – What You NEED to Know!!
Effective 7/1/15 every employee who works 30 calendar days in a year is entitled to paid sick leave at the rate of one hour for every thirty hours worked. Unused days must be carried over from year to year, however employers can cap annual usage at three days per year and may cap the carry over days to six. Sick leave can be used for the employee’s own illness as well as their spouse, child, parents, siblings, and grandparents. Accrual begins on the first day of employment but employers can impose a 90 day waiting period to use what’s earned. If the need to use sick leave is foreseeable the employee must ask in advance but cannot be required to find their own replacement employee to cover their shift. The law is silent on whether or not employers can require a doctor’s note. The accrual and use of the paid sick leave must be recorded on each employee paycheck.
Caution! Keep Good Records – Employers must keep all wage and sick pay records for at least three years. You must allow the labor commissioner to inspect the records, but call your labor attorney first! If adequate records are not kept, employers will be presumed to owe the maximum!
Employers are not allowed to retaliate against employees for use of sick days in any manner. These are legally protected days off.
Employers are required to post information about the new law in an area where employees can see it. Follow the links below to print out a poster you can put on your employee bulletin board as well as more information about the new law.
California Paid Sick Leave Law – full text