Posted 10 months ago - by Priscila Solis

San Francisco COVID Paid Sick Leave Ordinance 2022- What You Should Know

Earlier this year, the State of California passed another statewide COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Law. This law requires covered employers to offer supplemental paid sick leave to their employees for various COVID-related reasons. Shortly after the new CA law came out, an update to the current San Francisco COVID paid sick leave ordinance was announced.

The update was issued by the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE). The changes are temporary and include the following.

Doctor’s notes

Under this new recent amendment, employers can exercise any policies requiring a doctor’s note/documentation to use the leave if it is for more than five consecutive workdays. Once the temporary amendment no longer applies, the rule will go back to its original form, which allowed employers to request a doctor’s note if the leave was for more than three consecutive workdays.

Reasons for use of leave

In addition to the doctor note policy, they are adding several COVID-specific reasons for which an employee may use the San Francisco COVID paid sick leave. This includes:

• Employee needs to take time off for a COVID vaccine appointment or its side effects.
• Public health officials require or recommend that the employee isolates or quarantines to prevent spread.
• The employee’s place of business or work location temporarily ceases operations in response to public health officials’ recommendation.
• Employee needs to care for a family member with COVID, vaccine symptoms, or take them to their vaccine appointment.
• Family member’s school or child/senior care provider temporarily ceases operations in response to a public health order and the employee needs time off to take care of them.

Moreover, the new updates make it clear that laid off employees are NOT eligible for the leave. Similarly, a reduction of hours does not qualify an employee for use of the San Francisco COVID paid sick leave.

What’s next?

As we continue to see new COVID legislation, we encourage employers to speak with a trusted professional to ensure compliance. There may also be city and county-level regulations that employers need to be aware of for compliance.

Is there anything Payroll Systems can help you with as you accommodate rapid legislation changes? Reach out and talk to us about the easy-to-scale solutions you need for managing your workforce.

This article provides general information and shouldn’t be construed as legal or HR advice. Since employment laws may change over time and can vary by location and industry, please consult a lawyer or HR expert for advice specific to your business. You can also contact Payroll Systems to inquire about our HR support services.