Laws mandating paid sick leave may catch on

Following a recent initiative by the city of San Francisco, the California Legislature passed a bill in August mandating paid sick leave for all workers in the state, effective in 2015. A few other states have picked up the idea, and some authorities suspect paid sick leave laws have a good chance of sweeping the nation state by state or becoming a federal mandate. This, naturally, would affect businesses without a system in place to pay employees while they are sick and not working.

For many families, a case of the flu can mean a significant if not vital loss of income contributed to the household if it is a provider who suffers the illness. With the new law taking effect, businesses would have to conform their paid sick leave system to the language of the new law, even if they are already offering employees paid time off for sick days.

Other states that have adopted similar measures include Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. In each state, pivotal factors vary, such as how long an employee must be on staff before the new rules apply and what exact conditions and circumstances constitute an acceptable sick leave.

Business owners concerned about the effect that employment laws and regulations might have on their business and bottom line often seek out the counsel of a lawyer, who may not only be well versed in the laws already on the books but keen to what kind of new laws and regulations are forthcoming. However, employees too may consult with an attorney familiar with employment laws to ensure that their rights as workers under the law are not being violated in a stealthy or surreptitious way.

Source: Inc, “Everything You Need to Know About Paid Sick Leave“, Suzanne Lucas, December 16, 2014