California State Leaders Approve Extra Paid Sick Leave Amid Omicron Variant

The state of California will be requiring businesses to provide workers who were recovering from COVID-19 infection or are caring for infected family members with extra paid leaves.

As much as two weeks of supplemental paid sick leave will be given under the deal that was announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom and California's legislative leaders, according to The New York Times report.

The agreement would reinstate a benefit by the state in 2021, which expired by the end of September. Organized labor sought the measure as Omicron variant cases surged.

However, employers opposed it, arguing that the benefit would be prohibitively expensive for their business.

The state legislature is eyed to fast-track a bill to turn the agreement into law.

Newsom said in a joint statement with the president pro Tempore of State Senate Toni Atkins, and the speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon, that they can help protect the health of the state's workforce by extending sick leave to frontline workers infected with COVID.

In addition, they added that the measure will also ensure that businesses and the economy are able to thrive.

The statement noted that lawmakers will continue to work to address the additional needs of small businesses through the budget.

California Workers' Paid Sick Leave Measure

The new program will be retroactive to January 1 and will be extended through September 30, according to a Cal Matters report.

Under the agreement, the legislature will act on Newsom's emergency budget request for COVID-related programs before the regular budget is approved in June.

Any full-time employee of a company that has 26 or more workers is eligible for 40 hours of paid leave due to COVID. However, that does not cover getting the vaccine or recovering from side effects. A worker only gets 24 hours in that matter.

To avail the 40 hours of paid leave, workers should be able to show proof that they or a family member has tested positive. The provision is added to address the concerns of employers about possible fraud.

Employers must pay for and provide the test. However, they will be helped by restoring tax credits for research and development and net operating losses, through tax relief for recipients of federal relief grants for restaurants and shuttered venues.

There will also be additional funding for more small business grants.

Businesses and Employers on Paid Sick Leave

California Chamber President and CEO Jennifer Barrer said that any new sick leave mandate should be limited in duration and have "reasonable parameters."

John Kabateck, CA State Director for National Federation of Independent Business, said that any employer-paid leave is difficult for small businesses to afford, according to The Sacramento Bee report.

Kabateck said in an email that small businesses are still recovering from government closures, reduced commerce, and inflationary pricing. He added that they would have hoped some of the state's surplus would have been used to subsidize small businesses for the cost of paid COVID leave.

Meanwhile, worker advocates and labor groups welcomed the measure.

Art Pulaski, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the California Labor Federation, said that paid sick leave is one of the "most potent weapons" they have to protect workers and curb the spread of the disease.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by Mary Webber

WATCH: California paid COVID sick leave would return under new deal - from KTLA 5