Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed an Emergency Paid Sick Leave Bill on Thursday, March 19, 2021. The Mayor signed the bill on March 29, 2021 and the City has released preliminary guidance on the law which is enforceable as of March 29, 2021. This law will be effective for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are a few highlights:
- The bill covers both management and union employees who have worked for a given employer for ninety (90) or more days and (i) who works within Philadelphia, (ii) who normally works for a given employer within the City of Philadelphia but is currently teleworking from any other location as a result of COVID-19, or (iii) who works for a given employer from multiple locations or from mobile locations, provided that 51% or more of such employee’s work time is spent within the City of Philadelphia.
- The bill requires employers with 50-500 employees to provide 80 hours of emergency leave for a wide range of COVID-19 related events from caring for a family member to caring for a child if the school or place of care has been closed to the current public health emergency response.
- The bill allows employers to comply with the new local mandate by using the now optional Federal Tax Credits available to businesses who provide emergency paid leave due to the ongoing COVID-10 pandemic.
- The bill also has a provision for generous employers’ provision that does not require employers to provide additional leave if the employer’s existing policy provides one hundred and sixty (160) hours or more of paid time off in 2021 that is not specifically designated as sick leave, but can be used for the same purposes and under all of the same conditions as set forth for in the bill.
GBCA members with questions on this new law should contact Lance Claiborne by clicking below:
Click below to learn more about Philadelphia’s COVID-19 Pandemic Paid Sick Leave Guidance:
Click below to read the full Emergency Paid Sick Leave Bill:
