Key takeaway
California paid sick leave law is inadequate and leaves many workers vulnerable to going to work while sick or losing their paycheck. California must catch up to other states and provide workers with more paid sick time.
Every California worker deserves to take paid time off to care for themselves and their loved ones when they are sick. While a few California cities offer more generous paid sick leave, the state’s law lags far behind other states (see Table). That leaves many workers in the state with the impossible choice between going to work while sick or losing their paycheck.
California state law only requires employers to provide up to 24 hours of paid sick leave, depending on how many hours the employee worked. That results in many workers —especially those with low wages who are disproportionately women, Black, and Latinx —only having three days of paid sick leave for an entire year.
Some cities in California have recognized the need Californians have for more paid sick time. Seven cities in the state — Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, Santa Monica, Emeryville, Los Angeles, and San Diego — have their own paid sick leave laws that provide workers with more than the state’s 24 hours of paid sick leave.
While these cities have taken an important step in providing workers with necessary benefits so they can adequately care for themselves and their loved ones, it is not enough. Only 17% of Californians are covered by these more generous paid sick leave laws. That leaves 83% of California workers subject to the state’s paid sick leave law, which is inadequate, especially compared to other states. Three days of paid sick leave for an entire year does not allow Californians sufficient time to take care of themselves or their families when they are sick.
COVID-19 demonstrated the critical importance of paid sick leave. Unfortunately, the supplemental paid sick leave put in place during the early days of the pandemic has expired, leaving all workers — especially people of color and workers with low wages — vulnerable to inadequate paid sick leave. Workers need more paid time off when they or their family members are sick. It’s time for California to catch up to these seven cities, as well as other states around the country, and provide workers with more paid sick time.
Paid Sick Leave Policies in Effect in California, 2023
| City | How Many Hours Must Employees Be Allowed to Earn? | Applies to Which Employers? |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 40 or 72 hours | Employers with less than 10 workers (40 hours) Employers with 10+ workers (72 hours) |
| San Francisco | 40 or 72 hours | Employers with less than 10 workers (40 hours) Employers with 10+ workers (72 hours) |
| Berkeley | 48 or 72 hours | Employers with less than 25 workers (48 hours) Employers with 25+ workers (72 hours) |
| Santa Monica | 40 or 72 hours | Employers with less than 26 workers (40 hours) Employers with 26+ workers (72 hours) |
| Emeryville | 48 or 72 hours | Employers with less than 56 workers (48 hours) Employers with 56+ workers (72 hours) |
| Los Angeles | 48 hours | All employers |
| San Diego | 40 hours | All employers |
| California | 24 hours | All employers |
*Employers may choose to provide more paid sick leave than required by law, but these laws establish a minimum requirement that workers can earn.
Note: Most cities exclude workers from paid sick leave eligibility if they are not eligible for minimum wage in California.
Source: Data from A Better Balance and Budget Center analysis of city paid sick leave laws
