One quickly moving bill that we have taken an oppose position on is AB 1522 (Gonzalez) as it would add to the already growing number of costs for California businesses by requiring both small and large employers to provide their employees with mandatory, protected, paid sick leave.
AB 1522 mandates that all employers, except those with collective bargaining agreements, provide any employee who has worked in California for seven days with paid sick leave, the accrual rate at one hour for every thirty hours worked. After the 90th day of employment, employees would be allowed to utilize their paid sick leave to care for themselves or a family member. Furthermore, any unused sick leave accrued in the preceding year could be carried over to the next year, which is a significant change in existing law.
While many employers voluntarily offer sick leave for full-time employees, expanding this to all employees including temporary, seasonal, and part-time employees will create a huge burden on employers in the commercial real estate industry. We stand with the CalChamber and many other employers across the state to oppose this bill and will keep you posted.
