California expands COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law SB 95, placing an expansion and reset to COVID-19-related supplemental paid sick leave for employers with more than 25 employees.

The bill went into effect on March 29 and provides 80 hours of COVID-19 supplemental sick leave to full-time employees who are unable to work or telework due to COVID-19.

In effect, the bill resets the COVID-19 supplemental sick leave bank.

The bill also applies to part-time workers.

Employers cannot require that employees use other paid or unpaid leave, paid time off, or vacation time in place of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave.

The employee may request retroactive compensation if they took unpaid leave because of COVID-19 from January 1 to the present.

An employee can take leave for a variety of reasons, including attending an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Annie Ellis, attorney at Law Office of Annie M. Ellis, joined KUSI to discuss SB 95.