SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Sept. 30, California's COVID-19 extended sick leave program is set to expire. Governor Gavin Newsom signed it back in March.
Previously, the state required employers to pay for three full days of sick leave, but that was not enough for the required quarantine period.
The bill Newsom signed into law entitled "a covered employee to 80 hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave if that employee either works full time or was scheduled to work, on average, at least 40 hours per week for the employer in the 2 weeks preceding the date the covered employee took COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave."
In response to whether the governor had any plans to extend the program, a spokesperson for his office said there was no update, but "California has been working proactively to prepare for the end of federal benefits this month by connecting Californians with other public benefits that have been expanded by the American Rescue Plan and California Comeback Plan."
"This includes the Golden State Stimulus, a historic $12 billion state tax rebate program to provide direct relief for Californians hit hardest by the pandemic," the spokesperson said. "The state is also administering the largest renter assistance program in the country, with $5.2 billion to help low-income renters cover their back-rent and their rent for several months into the future; allocating $2 billion to help Californians pay past-due utility bills; and supporting small businesses by providing $4 billion for direct grants and delivering a $6.2 billion tax cut to help keep employees on payroll."
The Public Health Alliance, United Food and Commercial Workers, and more groups pleaded with the legislature and the governor to extend the program in a meeting Tuesday morning.
"More people are getting COVID right now than they were when we decided that we needed this as protection and the governor signed the bill," said Katherine Wutchiett with Legal Aid at Work.
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