California has some of the strictest employment laws in the country, so workers in this state have many benefits that aren’t present in other states. One of the rights that workers in California have to earn paid sick leave.
Under state law, employees who work at least 30 days in a year can earn sick leave. This applies to part-time, full-time, and temporary workers in almost all cases. Employers must provide employees with at least one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. There are caps that employers can place on total accrual, but they must always provide at least the statutory minimum requirements.
Employers in this state can choose to front-load the paid sick leave at the beginning of each year. If they do this, they won’t have to abide by the accrual system.
When can sick leave be used?
Sick leave can be used for an employee to take care of their own health needs, such as preventative care, diagnosis of a condition or treatment for a condition. They can also use it to care for family members, including a registered domestic partner, spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, or grandchild. Employees can also use this time to deal with things related to domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault.
Typically, employers can’t deny employees the right to use their sick leave, and they cannot retaliate against them for using it. If an employee doesn’t use their sick leave, it will carry over to the next year, but it is subject to the accrual caps set by the employer. Employees who quit or are terminated don’t have to be paid for accrued sick leave.
Employees and employers should ensure they understand how sick leave should be handled. It may be beneficial to work with someone who can offer guidance if there are ever questions or issues.