CALIFORNIA, USA — The governor and California lawmakers reached a deal to bring back two weeks of paid sick leave for California workers after the last round of supplemental sick leave expired in September 2021.
ABC10 sat down with Erica Cermeno, program administrator at the Center for Workers’ Rights, to get your questions answered.
Q: What will the new paid sick leave deal mean for workers?
A: "The plan is to give workers 40 hours of paid sick leave if they themselves get COVID, and on top of that, an additional 40 hours to take care of a family member who gets COVID."
Q: Will paid sick leave be retroactive?
A: “It goes back to Jan. 1 of 2022, so there's a gap from when the last program ended to when this one starts. So, there won't be coverage for October, November and December of 2021."
Q: Who will be covered in California?
A: "Employees of companies that have over 25 workers are covered by this proposal. Part-time workers are also covered, however not for the same amount of hours. The hours that they qualify for are calculated differently. It depends on the hours that they work."
Q: Will independent contractors be covered?
A: "Independent contractors are not covered by this. Like most labor protections, this only covers employees and not independent contractors."
Q: Will undocumented Californians be covered?
A: "One of the main issues that we've heard is employers telling immigrant workers that they don't qualify for the paid sick leave, which is a lie. You qualify for the paid sick leave regardless of your immigration status."
WATCH ALSO:
