Thursday, December 03, 2009
Paid Sick Leave Bill Introduced in Congress
Federal legislation that would mandate paid sick leave for employees to care for themselves or a family member with a contagious illness, such as the H1N1 influenza virus. Our friends at Shawe Rosenthal LLP summarized the bill in their latest E-Update. Here is the summary:
In light of the H1N1 flu pandemic, Congress is considering emergency legislation that would require employers to provide seven paid sick days to employees who need time off to care for themselves or a family member who has a contagious disease such as H1N1.
The emergency legislation, entitled the Pandemic Protection for Workers, Families and Businesses Act, would allow employees paid sick leave to (1) care for their own flu symptoms, including obtaining a medical diagnosis and obtaining preventative treatment, (2) care for a sick child, or (3) care for a child whose school or day care facility has been closed due to the spread of a contagious illness. Part time employees would receive a pro rata share of the seven days of paid sick leave based on the number of hours worked. If an employer already has a paid sick leave policy in place that provides at least seven days of leave that can be used for the purposes covered by the bill, the employer need not provide any additional paid sick time. The bill contains a sunset provision, such that it would expire two years from the date of enactment, unless Congress decides to make it permanent.
For more information or to view the complete bill text, click here.
