
Tala Doumani is a student at Harvard Law School.
Yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a new COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave plan. Under the new plan, employees are eligible for up to 80 hours of paid leave for COVID-19 related absences. The statute, which was codified in the California Labor Code, applies to employers with 26 or more employees. The scope of what qualifies for a COVID-19 related absence is broadly construed – including use for employees who have been advised to quarantine, those caring for COVID-19 positive family members, and attending vaccination appointments. In announcing the law, Newsom’s administration stated that “[p]aid sick leave is key to ensuring workers don’t have to make the impossible choice between going to work sick or losing wages needed to pay rent and keep food on the table.” Unlike in previous federal and state paid sick leave programs, Californian employers are responsible for the costs of the additional time off (with the opportunity for government support down the road). The law retroactively applies to January 1, 2022, and is set to expire on September 30, 2022.
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October 16
NLRB seeks injunction of California’s law; Judge grants temporary restraining order stopping shutdown-related RIFs; and Governor Newsom vetoes an ILWU supported bill.
October 15
An interview with former NLRB chairman; Supreme Court denies cert in Southern California hotel case
October 14
Census Bureau layoffs, Amazon holiday hiring, and the final settlement in a meat producer wage-fixing lawsuit.
October 13
Texas hotel workers ratify a contract; Pope Leo visits labor leaders; Kaiser lays off over two hundred workers.
October 12
The Trump Administration fires thousands of federal workers; AFGE files a supplemental motion to pause the Administration’s mass firings; Democratic legislators harden their resolve during the government shutdown.
October 10
California bans algorithmic price-fixing; New York City Council passes pay transparency bills; and FEMA questions staff who signed a whistleblowing letter.