California Emergency Supplemental COVID-19 Sick Leave Expired, but Local Laws Remain

California Emergency Supplemental COVID-19 Sick Leave Expired, but Local Laws Remain

On January 1, 2023, California’s emergency supplemental COVID-19 sick leave expired. California first enacted this emergency COVID-19 sick leave in September 2020. The original intention appeared for it to last only a few months. But as COVID-19 persisted, the State extended the requirement several times.  Because it is not uncommon for the State to revive a COVID-19 law a few months after its expiration, we will monitor this issue for any further developments. 

Though the State’s COVID-19 supplemental sick leave has expired, it is important to be aware of local laws in your geographic area. For example: 

• If you have employees who work in the City of Los Angeles, the City has its own emergency COVID-19 sick leave law applicable only to large employers with 500 or more employees who work inside the City’s limits or 2,000 employees nationwide. The Los Angeles City Council has voted to end the City’s COVID-19 State of Emergency declaration as of February 1, 2023, which in turn causes the City’s emergency COVID-19 sick leave to end two weeks later (on February 15, 2023). 
• Long Beach has its own emergency COVID-19 sick leave law applicable within Long Beach city limits to employers with 500 or more employees nationwide. As of the date of this article’s publication, Long Beach has not announced an end date. 
• A few months ago in San Francisco, voters voted to permanently enact public health emergency leave, which takes the place of the expired California emergency supplemental COVID-19 sick leave and expands coverage to more qualifying events (please see prior alert on this matter).