Voters Approve Changes to Paid Sick Leave in San Diego

June 7th, 2016, voters in San Diego made a new law that comes with a virtually immediate effective date. This new law will require area employers to move forward with efforts at compliance immediately in order to avoid being in violation of employment law.

The ordinance was originally approved in August 18, 2014. It was scheduled to become operative on April 1, 2015. One month after its approval, petitions were filed by opponents to suspend the law. The City Council voted to submit the matter to voters during the June 7, 2016 election and in so doing, allowed voters to demonstrate that they approved. The law will not apply retroactively, and will not be operational until 10 calendar days after the council adoption of a resolution that declares the election’s results (unless a separate, earlier date is designated in the resolution itself).

The San Diego law is applicable to all employers and their covered employees. A covered employee is one that performs at least two hours of work within the San Diego city boundaries for an employer for one or more calendar weeks in the year, is entitled to state minimum wage or is a participant in a State of California Welfare-to-Work Program. Exceptions are in place for those paid under a special license at below minimum wage, those working for publicly subsidized summer programs or other short-term youth work programs, student employees, program counselors, camp counselors, and independent contractors.

For additional information regarding the application of sick leave and minimum wage laws, please get in touch with the experienced southern California employment law attorneys at Blumenthal, Nordrehaug & Bhowmik.