Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Rocio Kiryczun, Human Resources Director
Michelle Kuka, Employee Relations Manager
Subject: Resolution Authorizing an Amendment to the County's COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave Policy
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the County's COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave Policy to align with new state law and to extend the availability of the County's COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave to September 30, 2022.
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BACKGROUND:
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, prior federal and state laws have required most employers to provide mandatory paid sick leave for employees.
This Board has repeatedly approved and extended a County COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave policy to be substantially in line with federal and state laws. In some areas, County policy went beyond the minimum requirements of the sick leave mandates. For example, in September 2021 and January 2022, this Board approved extensions of the County's COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave Policy beyond the time period required by state law. The current expiration date of the County's COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave Policy is July 9, 2022.
County employees continue to require leave due to COVID-19 and the County experienced an increase of employee absences during the Omicron surge.
DISCUSSION:
On February 9, 2022, California enacted a new statewide law, SB 114, reinstating the requirement that most employers provide up to two weeks of paid COVID-19 sick leave for employees who are unable to work or telework from January 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022. The new law makes revisions to the reasons for which an employee may take COVID-19 related sick leave, and provides for additional hours of leave retroactive to January 1, 2022.
The Human Resources Department is recommending that the Board amend the County's COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave Policy in several respects...
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