Paid Sick Leave Bill Moves Ahead In Assembly

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Max Pringle / CPRN

(AP) -- A California bill that would require employers to offer all workers paid sick leave has been approved by a state committee.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Assembly Bill 1522, introduced by Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), passed by 5 to 1 in teh Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment.

Under the measure, workers would accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Employers would be able to cap the total paid sick leave at three days. Supporters of the bill say it will help prevent sick employees from working and spreading disease, and save health care costs.

The California Chamber of Commerce calls the measure a "job killer."

In a statement, Gonzalez said employers and their workers lose out when employees choose to report to work while sick rather than risk losing pay.

"Every time this choice comes up for a sick employee, everyone loses money – whether it’s through unnecessary emergency room costs, the billions of dollars lost in productivity annually when sick employees try to work while under the weather, or lost wages that impact whether working families can put food on the table," she said.