New sick leave is available for California state workers. Here are the details
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A new allotment of paid leave is available for California state workers affected by the coronavirus, including those with children whose schools or child care centers are closed, the state Human Resources Department announced this week.
The department issued guidelines for state employees to use up to two weeks of supplemental paid sick leave under Senate Bill 95, a piece of legislation from Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, that makes the leave available to most private and public employees.
The leave, known in CalHR lingo as SB 95 SPSL, may be used by all state workers except retired annuitants, according to the guidance. It may be used retroactively to Jan. 1 and may be used in addition to other leave balances.
The leave “shall be available for immediate use by the eligible employee, upon the verbal or written request of the employee to the department,” according to the guidance.
Employees must substantiate school or child care closures and follow regular sick leave substantiation procedures for the other qualifying conditions, which include quarantine orders, COVID-19 symptoms and vaccine side effects.
Departments may not require employees to use other leave types first, including days off under the state worker pay-cut program, known as the personal leave program, the guidance says.
Congress provided a similar allotment of sick leave last year under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The federal act required employers, including the state of California, to provide an additional 10 weeks of family leave at two-thirds pay on top of the two weeks of sick leave.
That program expired at the end of December. President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan gives employers the opportunity to extend the full package, including the extra family leave, but Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration hasn’t said whether it will extend 10 more weeks of family leave to state workers.
The two weeks of supplemental sick leave are available under the following circumstances, according to CalHR’s new guidance:
The employee is subject to a federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19 as defined by an order or guidelines of the state Department of Public Health, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or a local health officer who has jurisdiction over the workplace; or
The employee is advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine or self-isolate due to concerns related to COVID-19; or
The employee is attending an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine; or
The employee is experiencing symptoms related to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine that prevent the employee from being able to work or telework; or
The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking a medical diagnosis; or
The employee is caring for a family member as defined in the California Labor Code, section 245.5 subdivision (c), who is subject to an order or guidelines under number 1 or 2; or
The employee is caring for a child as defined in the California Labor Code, section 245.5, subdivision (c), whose school or place of care is closed or otherwise unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19 on the premises.
This story was originally published March 31, 2021 at 5:25 AM with the headline "New sick leave is available for California state workers. Here are the details."