Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers said Tuesday they have worked out a deal to bring back paid COVID-19 sick leave.
The agreement, which comes after a similar law passed in 2021 expired several months ago, would give workers access to supplemental paid sick leave through Sept. 30.
The framework would provide up two weeks of leave to full-time workers at businesses with at least 26 employees. It would cover workers who are sick with the coronavirus and those caring for loved ones with COVID-19.
Workers who themselves test positive would need to present a test to receive the full amount of paid leave, which would be retroactive to Jan. 1.
The deal also proposes restoring suspended tax credits in a bid to help businesses shoulder the costs of the extra paid leave, which could be especially valuable for restaurants and other small businesses that have been battered by the pandemic.
The legislation is expected to reach Newsom’s desk in “days, maybe a week, but not a month,” said state Sen. Dave Cortese, a San Jose Democrat who chairs the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee.
Cortese said lawmakers had been working on the idea for weeks, adding that lawmakers’ offices in Sacramento have also been affected by the virus.
“By extending sick leave to frontline workers with COVID and providing support for California businesses, we can help protect the health of our workforce, while also ensuring that businesses and our economy are able to thrive,” Newsom said in a joint statement with Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.
Labor leaders who had called for the return of supplemental paid sick leave praised the announcement.
“We spoke up about the impossible choices we faced without enough sick time to recover from COVID-19 without our kids going hungry,” SEIU California President Bob Schoonover said in a statement. “We know we can’t wait for employers to keep us safe — we have to advocate for ourselves, and Governor Newsom and legislators listened.”
