On March 27, 2020, the Los Angeles City Council passed a Supplemental Paid Sick Leave ordinance that requires large employers with at least 500 employees to provide up to 80 hours of paid sick leave to Los Angeles employees for coronavirus related purposes. Under the ordinance, the Supplemental Paid Sick Leave amount paid to an employee cannot exceed $511 per day and $5,110 in the aggregate.

An employee can take this paid leave for any of the following reasons:

1. The Employee takes time off because a public health official or healthcare provider requires or recommends the Employee isolate or self-quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19;
2. The Employee takes time off work because the Employee is at least 65 years old or has a health condition such as heart disease, asthma, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or weakened immune system;
3. The Employee takes time off work because the Employee needs to care for a family member who is not sick but who public health officials or healthcare providers have required or recommended isolation or self-quarantine;
4. The Employee takes time off work because the Employee needs to provide care for a family member whose senior care provider or whose school or child care provider caring for a child under the age of 18 temporarily ceases operations in response to a public health or other public official’s recommendation.

An employer may not require a doctor’s note or other documentation for the use of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave.

This Supplemental Sick Leave is in addition to the up to 48 hours of paid sick leave that is already available to Los Angeles employees annually.

The Supplemental Paid Sick Leave ordinance was sent to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on March 28, 2020 for his expected signature, and he has until April 7, 2020 to act.

UPDATE AS OF APRIL 8, 2020: Mayor Garcetti declined to sign the ordinance and instead issued his own Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Order that mostly mirrors the City Council ordinance with some key exceptions.  See CWC's post on the executive order for more details.