California Cities and Counties Expanding Pandemic-Related Benefits
In response to COVID-19, a growing number of California cities and counties have issued expanded paid sick leave laws primarily targeting employers exempt from the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
To our knowledge, and as of May 29, 2020:
| City | Covered Employers | Effective Date | Expiration Date | Other resources |
| Emeryville | All employers, regardless of size. | April 1, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | Emeryville’s website |
| Long Beach | Employers with 500 or more employees nationwide. | May 19, 2020 | Until further notice | Long Beach’s website |
| Los Angeles | Employers with 500 or more employees within the city, or 2,000 or more nationwide. | May 29, 2020 | Until two calendar weeks after the expiration of the COVID19 local emergency period | City of Los Angeles’ rules and regulations |
| Los Angeles County (unincorporated areas) | Employers with 500 or more employees nationwide. | April 28, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | Los Angeles County’s website |
| Oakland | All employers regardless of size (except for those with fewer than 50 employees between February 3, 2020 and March 4, 2020). | May 12, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | Oakland’s website |
| San Diego | All employers regardless of size. | April 28, 2020 | Until further notice | San Diego’s website |
| San Francisco City and County | Employers with 500 or more employees worldwide. | April 17, 2020 | Until further notice | San Francisco’s FAQs |
| San Jose | Employers with 500 or more employees and small businesses of 50 or fewer. | April 7, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | San Jose’s Notice |
California also issued a statewide April 1, 2020 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Order (and mandatory poster) for food sector employers with 500 or more employees.
While this is a start for employers and employees affected by these new standards, steady change has been a constant in response to changing pandemic conditions. Please check the above links and other online resources for any updates.
See also:
- COVID-19, I Presume (May 20, 2020)
- It’s a Wash- COVID 19 Paid Leave and Tax Credits (April 9, 2020)
- COVID-19 Gets Noticed (April 1, 2020)
- Federal Coronavirus Workplace Relief (March 23, 2020)
For more information about these laws or other employment issues related to COVID-19, contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
Cindy Bamforth
May 29, 2020