Cities and Counties Expanding Paid Leave Benefits
With the pandemic persisting in California, local governments continue to issue emergency ordinances for workers to supplement Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) benefits.
Since our last posting — California Coronavirus Response, Updated – Cities and Counties Requiring Paid Sick Leave Above and Beyond Federal Limits (July 23, 2020) — we count two more counties – Sacramento and Sonoma — that have enacted their own emergency sick leave ordinances. As it stands:
| City or County | 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 | Private employers with 500 or more employees nationwide | May 19, 2020 | Until further notice | Long Beach’s website |
| Los Angeles* | Private 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) | Private employers with 500 or more employees nationwide | April 28, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | Los Angeles County’s website |
| Oakland | Private 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 |
| City of Sacramento | All employers with 500 or more employees nationwide | July 15, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | Sacramento City’s website |
| Sacramento County | Employers with 500 or more employees nationwide | October 1, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | Sacramento County’s press release |
| City of San Diego* | All employers regardless of size | April 28, 2020 | Until further notice | San Diego’s website |
| San Francisco City and County | Private employers with 500 or more employees worldwide | April 17, 2020 | Until further notice | San Francisco’s FAQs |
| San Jose | Private employers with 500 or more employees and small businesses of 50 or fewer | April 7, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | San Jose’s Notice |
| San Mateo County | Private employers with 500 or more employees within the United States | July 8, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | San Mateo County’s FAQs |
| Santa Rosa | All private employers regardless of size | July 7, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | Santa Rosa City’s website |
| Sonoma County | Private employers with 500 or more employees nationwide | August 18, 2020 | December 31, 2020 | Somona County’s website |
*Ordinances for the cities of Emeryville, Los Angeles and San Diego require employers to allow covered employees to use any accrued sick leave benefits for COVID-19 related reasons.
Please check these links and other online resources for any updates.
See also:
- Pandemic Emergency Leave – “Families First” Rules Continue to Evolve (October 8, 2020)
- Over the Horizon – Broader “Worker-Friendlier” COVID Leave Criteria? (August 21, 2020)
- Paid Sick Leave Going Viral – California Cities and Counties Expanding Pandemic-Related Benefits (May 29, 2020)
- It’s a Wash – COVID-19 Paid Leave and Tax Credits (April 9, 2020)
- Federal Coronavirus Workplace Relief – New Paid Sick Leave, Family Leave and Tax Credits Effective April 2, 2020 (March 23, 2020)
Cindy Bamforth
November 19, 2020