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Nikki Mahmoudi is an associate in the Firm’s Labor & Employment practice group. Nikki earned her J.D. from UCLA Law and received her B.A. in International Relations from UC Davis.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has updated its definition of an “outbreak.”

As previously discussed in our January 25, 2023 blog post, the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) were replaced with the COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations, which rely on the CDPH definition of “outbreak.” The Non-Emergency Regulations, in effect until February 3, 2025, require employers to ensure employees are protected in the workplace from COVID-19, including during an outbreak.

Continue Reading Outbreak: Redefined by the California Department of Public Health

Currently, California employees, with certain exceptions, are entitled to three days or 24 hours of paid sick leave. Employers can choose to have a paid sick leave policy that provides all of the hours at one time or, the amount of available paid sick leave an employee has can accrue, where employees earn sick leave over time and any unused sick leave can carry over into the next year of employment. With accrual, employees must earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours of work.  Employers can also use a different accrual method so long as an employee has no less than 24 hours of accrued sick leave or paid time off by the 120th calendar day of employment or each calendar year, or in each 12-month period.  As to limits, an employer can limit an employee’s use of paid sick leave to 24 hours or three days during a year and can also limit or cap the overall amount of sick leave an employee may accrue to 6 days or 48 hours.

Continue Reading Employers Beware: California Bill Could More than Double the Mandatory Paid Sick Leave Available to California Employees!