What happened?

On September 24, 2024, Governor Newsom signed SB 1105, which expands existing paid sick leave provisions to allow agricultural employees to use paid sick leave for additional reasons.

Quick Summary:

• Allows agricultural employees who work outside to use their accrued paid sick leave to avoid smoke, heat, or flooding conditions created by a local or state emergency, upon oral or written request.

What are the details?

• The bill supplements the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014.

• Requires that employers provide paid sick days to employees who need them for the “…diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing health condition, preventive care, or for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including their family members, as specified in the Government Code.”

• Required that employers provide paid sick days to agricultural employees who work outside and request leave to avoid smoke, heat, or flooding during a local or state emergency, including when their worksite is closed due to these conditions

Business Considerations

• Employers may not deny an employee the right to use accrued sick days or discharge, threaten to discharge, demote, suspend, or in any manner discriminate against an employee for using or attempting to use accrued sick days.
• Employers should adjust their leave policies and procedures to comply with the new requirements.

Source References

• CA SB 1105
• Senate Bill 1105: California Passes Expanded Use of Paid Sick Leave for Agricultural Employees (Jackson Lewis P.C.)
• Governor Newsom Press Release

Resources

• Healthy Workplace Healthy Family Act of 2014 (AB 1522)

This communication is intended solely for the purpose of conveying information. The present post might incorporate hyperlinks directing readers to websites managed by third-party entities. The inclusion of any links within this communication is meant to serve as points of reference and could encompass opinion articles from various law firms, articles from HR associations, official websites, news releases, and documents of government agencies, and other relevant third-party sources. Vensure has no authority over these external websites and bears no responsibility for their content. Furthermore, Vensure does not endorse the materials present on these websites. The contents of this communication should not be interpreted as legal advice or as a legal standpoint concerning specific facts or scenarios. Nor should it be deemed an exhaustive compilation of facts potentially pertinent to federal, state, or local laws. It is strongly advised that employers solicit legal guidance from an employment attorney when undertaking actions in response to any legal updates provided. This is due to the possibility of future alterations occurring in federal, state, and local laws, regulations, as well as the directives and guidelines issued by governing agencies. These changes may transpire at any given time, potentially rendering certain portions of the content within this update void or inaccurate.