California lawmakers pass bill to increase workers’ minimum sick days. Here’s how many

California legislators passed a bill Wednesday that expands the amount of sick time that employers around the state are required to offer their personnel.

If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs Senate Bill 616 into law, workers would get at least five sick days a year starting Jan. 1, up from the three days now on the books.

State Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, authored the bill because she was concerned workers would not have enough sick days if they or a child fell ill with COVID-19. It can take time for that respiratory virus to clear the system and for those who have it to test negative, Gonzalez said, but federal and state laws that offered job protections for those with the illness during the pandemic are no longer in effect.

“Families no longer have the temporary protections afforded by COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave, which ended last year,” Gonzalez said. “This back-to-school season, let’s commit to ensuring that parents can take the sick leave they need to take care of their health and the health of their children.”

Wellness advocate Kim Robinson said the need for increased time extends to families in many different situations. Even though Robinson’s employer allows her to take 56 hours of sick time (about seven days) annually, she said, that time quickly evaporates when you’re a caregiver sandwiched between two generations.

“I have exhausted all of my sick time because of the need to accompany my mother with doctors’ appointments, also accompanying my son with doctors’ appointments, and not feeling well myself,” Robinson said. “I’ve exhausted all of the days that were allotted to me. Once you exhaust your sick time at my organization, then you then have to use your personal time off.”

She said she has a trip planned to Africa later this year — time for her to relax, have some fun and recharge — and she’s hoping she will be able to hold onto enough vacation time to go. A Lathrop resident, Robinson manages two health clinics in Stockton, and although one of them recently went through two audits and passed with flying colors, she said, she still fears losing her job because she’s needed so much time off.

Many workers face obligations like these, Robinson said, and three days just aren’t enough to handle it all.

Proponents of SB 616 have told legislators that this is a pocketbook issue for many workers. Missing 3½ days of work without pay equates to losing an entire family’s monthly grocery budget, they said, so those additional days could mean the difference between putting food on the table and kids going hungry.

In California, seven cities already mandate that employers provide nine to 10 days of sick time, according to researchers at the California Budget and Policy Center. They are San Diego, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville.

How does California sick leave compare to other states?

Fourteen other states and the District of Columbia also mandate more sick days than California does. Six require more days for all employers or soon will:

▪ Washington: One hour for every 40 hours worked

▪ New Mexico: 64 hours

▪ Colorado and Minnesota: 48 hours; the Minnesota law will go into effect in January

▪ Vermont and New Jersey: 40 hours

Six states require employers to offer 40 hours of sick time once their workforce has met or exceeded a specific number: 10 workers in Oregon, 11 in Massachusetts, 15 in Maryland, 18 in Rhode Island, and 50 in Connecticut and Michigan.

The number of sick days varies in two states and D.C., depending on employee headcount:

▪ New York mandates 40 hours of sick time for businesses with fewer than 100 workers and 56 hours for businesses with 100-plus employees.

▪ Arizona businesses with fewer than 15 workers must offer 24 hours of sick time, but those with 15 or more have to offer 40 hours.

▪ In Washington, D.C., companies with 24 or fewer employees must provide three days, those with 25 to99 must offer five days, and those with 100-plus workers have to give seven days.

If the governor approves SB 616, California would essentially catch up with 10 of the 14 other states offering sick benefits.