Effective October 1, 2022, San Francisco Strikes Again with More Paid Leave

Effective October 1, 2022, San Francisco Strikes Again with More Paid Leave

In the June 7, 2022 statewide elections in California, San Francisco voters successfully passed a ballot measure called Proposition G, which obligates employers to provide public health emergency paid leave for employees working in the City or County of San Francisco effective October 1, 2022. A “public health emergency” is defined as “a local or statewide health emergency related to any contagious, infectious, or communicable disease, declared by the City’s local health officer or the state health officer pursuant to the California Health and Safety Code, or an Air Quality Emergency.” An “air quality emergency” is defined as “a day when the Bay Area Air Quality Management District issues a Spare the Air Alert.” The law applies to employers that have 100 or more employees worldwide, with at least one employee working inside the City or County. The law is waivable in a collective bargaining agreement that expressly waives the law’s requirements in clear and unambiguous terms. Monetary penalty for non-compliance starts at $500, and increases depending on the situation, and can also include reinstatement and backpay, as applicable. For more information about the leave specifications and what constitutes a qualifying event, please click here.