Action Alert: County of L.A. COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Ordinance
April 27, 2020 8:00 am
Background:
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is anticipated to consider the COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance introduced by Supervisors Solis and Hahn. County staff developed a draft ordinance in working with labor and other groups. The Right of Recall and Countywide Worker Retention ordinances will be considered on May 12. The ordinance applies to unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.
COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Ordinance- Agenda Item 14
- Employers to provide full-time employees 80 hours of supplemental sick leave for COVID-19 related reasons.
- Employers over 500 employees nationally.
- Exempts emergency first responders and health care providers.
- Employer Offset -- An employer’s obligation to provide 80 hours is reduced by every hour the employer allowed an employee to take paid leave. Does not apply to accrued hours.
- Exemption for collective bargaining agreements if there is a waiver in the agreement.
- Urgency Ordinance.
- Sunsets December 31, 2020.
Read the full ordinance here.
Who Is Taking Action?
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is taking action on Paid Sick Leave on April 28, at 9:30 a.m. The Paid Sick Leave is agenda item 14 on the Board agenda. You can view the meeting here.
Why Should I Care?
The Paid Sick Leave Ordinance can have detrimental impacts on businesses. Businesses are trying to survive during this pandemic. Their future is volatile and uncertain. This Ordinance places additional burdens on business that only exacerbate the challenges they are experiencing.
What Can I Do To Help?
What Should I Say?
- Business, particularly small business is the foundation of our local economy.
- Business have been greatly impacted by the Stay at Home Orders which has led to businesses completely shut down or have reduced services. Businesses are generating zero revenue.
- This is already an incredibly difficult time for small, medium size and all businesses that are desperately trying to keep their doors open. The businesses require maximum flexibility.
- The proposed Paid Sick Leave ordinance has detrimental impacts to the business community. The current ordinance rewards bad actors and does not take into account companies that are already providing robust paid sick leave for their employees.
- Having to lay off employees is never an easy decision, but should be at the discretion of the businesses who are desperately trying to remain open and survive this crisis.
- These proposed ordinances establish a bad precedent that will constrain business practices and operations.
- We need the Board of Supervisors to provide relief to businesses and not additional regulatory burdens if we want to see the economy recover.
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