Los Angeles Employers Take Note: New Paid Time Off and Sick Leave Regulations Going Into Effect July 1, 2017

Ford & Diulio PC is always working to make sure our clients and potential clients stay on top of the legal requirements for employers in California. Although many employers keep up to date on state-level changes to labor and employment law, Ford & Diulio PC wants to remind you to check your local city ordinances as well. In this post, we highlight the upcoming change to paid time off policies for employers with fewer than 25 employees operating in the city of Los Angeles, California.

In March 2017, the City of Los Angeles Office of Wage Standards (OWS) revised its rules implementing the Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO), which includes mandatory paid sick leave requirements. Of note, starting July 1, 2017, the MWO’s paid sick leave provisions will now apply to employers with 25 or fewer covered employees. The MWO increases the paid sick leave required under California state law from 24 hours of leave to 48 hours. However,the MWO states that employers with an existing paid leave or paid time off policy that provides 48 hours of compensated time off do NOT have to provide additional paid sick leave beginning in July. The revised rules clarify that paid time off includes, but is not limited to, vacation, sick, paid time off, floating holiday, holiday or personal days.

For those employers that need to increase the paid sick leave they provide for their employees, there are pro ratacalculations that will allow employers to frontload only 24 hours of time off for the the six months from the effective date through the end of 2017.

If you have questions regarding whether your paid time off policies need updating, or any other questions about the requirements of the revised rules implementing the MWO, please contact Ford & Diulio PC at lawyer@forddiulio.com or 714-450-6830.