Paid Sick Leave Is Now a Right in California

San Francisco Lawyer Explains Your Employment Rights

San Francisco AttorneyOur Bay Area attorneys have been bombarded recently with questions about the Golden State’s new paid sick leave protocol. Here’s what you need to know:

In the middle of 2014, Governor Brown signed a law that requires nearly all employers to offer three paid sick days each year to all full-time employees. San Francisco lawyers and other employment rights advocates throughout California have been advising clients to watch for signs that their employers may not be following these new laws.

This law has been tested in interesting ways, thus far.

Some companies have tried combined their vacation and sick leave days, fuzzying the definitions of “time off.” Other companies have responded by offering rolling sick leave that builds from year to year; still others have radically overhauled their vacation policies. These differing systems for leave time accumulation lead to the question: where does paid sick leave stand?

Sick leave can either be delivered at the beginning of the year in a twenty-four hour block or accrued as the worker builds hours. The law does specify that accrued sick leave need not be reimbursed in the event of employee separation.

The law also specifies that employers must use easy-to-understand language when detailing vacation and sick leave, and that employers need to inform workers about how the new law affects benefits packages. Employers must also maintain vacation and sick leave records. As an employee, you have the right to review those records.

Need Help? Call a San Francisco Attorney at Vega Today

If you suspect that your employer has not granted you all of your rights under the new California statute, contact an experienced employment lawyer at Vega law at 415-287-6200 for help.