Earlier this week, the California Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee approved SB 616. This bill now moves on for consideration by the Senate appropriations committee. SB 616, sponsored by California State Senator Lena Gonzalez from Los Angeles County, if enacted in its current form, would more than double mandatory paid sick leave available for California employees, starting next year.

Increased Paid Sick Leave in California

Currently, California employees are entitled to three days or twenty-four hours of paid sick leave that must be available to the employee to use by the completion of the employee’s 120th calendar day of employment. SB 616 would substantially increase the amount of paid sick leave available annually to California employees to seven (7) days or fifty-six (56) hours.

More specifically, if enacted in its current form, SB 616 would modify the required paid sick leave accrual method to require that California employees have no less than 56 hours of accrued sick leave or paid time off by the 280th calendar day of employment or each calendar year, beginning January 1, 2024.

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