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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June 4
Federal agencies violate federal court order pausing mass layoffs; Walmart terminates some jobs in Florida following Supreme Court rulings on the legal status of migrants; and LA firefighters receive a $9.5 million settlement for failure to pay firefighters during shift changes.
June 3
Federal judge blocks Trump's attack on TSA collective bargaining rights; NLRB argues that Grindr's Return-to-Office policy was union busting; International Trade Union Confederation report highlights global decline in workers' rights.
June 2
Proposed budgets for DOL and NLRB show cuts on the horizon; Oregon law requiring LPAs in cannabis dispensaries struck down.
June 1
In today’s news and commentary, the Ninth Circuit upholds a preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration, a federal judge vacates parts of the EEOC’s pregnancy accommodation rules, and video game workers reach a tentative agreement with Microsoft. In a 2-1 decision issued on Friday, the Ninth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration […]
May 30
Trump's tariffs temporarily reinstated after brief nationwide injunction; Louisiana Bill targets payroll deduction of union dues; Colorado Supreme Court to consider a self-defense exception to at-will employment
May 29
AFGE argues termination of collective bargaining agreement violates the union’s First Amendment rights; agricultural workers challenge card check laws; and the California Court of Appeal reaffirms San Francisco city workers’ right to strike.