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. (a) An employee who, on or after July 1, 2015, works in
California for the same employer for 30 or more days within a year
from the commencement of employment is entitled to paid sick days as
specified in this section.
(b) (1) An employee shall accrue paid sick days at the rate of not
less than one hour per every 30 hours worked, beginning at the
commencement of employment or the operative date of this article,
whichever is later, subject to the use and accrual limitations set
forth in this section.
(2) An employee who is exempt from overtime requirements as an
administrative, executive, or professional employee under a wage
order of the Industrial Welfare Commission is deemed to work 40 hours
per workweek for the purposes of this section, unless the employee's
normal workweek is less than 40 hours, in which case the employee
shall accrue paid sick days based upon that normal workweek.
(3) An employer may use a different accrual method, other than
providing one hour per every 30 hours worked, provided that the
accrual is on a regular basis so that 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.
(4) An employer may satisfy the accrual requirements of this
section by providing not less than 24 hours or three days of paid
sick leave that is available to the employee to use by the completion
of his or her 120th calendar day of employment.
(c) An employee shall be entitled to use accrued paid sick days
beginning on the 90th day of employment, after which day the employee
may use paid sick days as they are accrued.
(d) Accrued paid sick days shall carry over to the following year
of employment. However, an employer may limit an employee's use of
accrued paid sick days to 24 hours or three days in each year of
employment, calendar year, or 12-month period. This section shall be
satisfied and no accrual or carry over is required if the full amount
of leave is received at the beginning of each year of employment,
calendar year, or 12-month period. The term "full amount of leave"
means three days or 24 hours.
(e) An employer is not required to provide additional paid sick
days pursuant to this section if the employer has a paid leave policy
or paid time off policy, the employer makes available an amount of
leave applicable to employees that may be used for the same purposes
and under the same conditions as specified in this section, and the
policy satisfies one of the following:
(1) Satisfies the accrual, carry over, and use requirements of
this section.
(2) Provided paid sick leave or paid time off to a class of
employees before January 1, 2015, pursuant to a sick leave policy or
paid time off policy that used an accrual method different than
providing one hour per 30 hours worked, provided that the accrual is
on a regular basis so that an employee, including an employee hired
into that class after January 1, 2015, has no less than one day or
eight hours of accrued sick leave or paid time off within three
months of employment of each calendar year, or each 12-month period,
and the employee was eligible to earn at least three days or 24 hours
of sick leave or paid time off within nine months of employment. If
an employer modifies the accrual method used in the policy it had in
place prior to January 1, 2015, the employer shall comply with any
accrual method set forth in subdivision (b) or provide the full
amount of leave at the beginning of each year of employment, calendar
year, or 12-month period. This section does not prohibit the
employer from increasing the accrual amount or rate for a class of
employees covered by this subdivision.
(3) Notwithstanding any other law, sick leave benefits provided
pursuant to the provisions of Sections 19859 to 19868.3, inclusive,
of the Government Code, or annual leave benefits provided pursuant to
the provisions of Sections 19858.3 to 19858.7, inclusive, of the
Government Code, or by provisions of a memorandum of understanding
reached pursuant to Section 3517.5 that incorporate or supersede
provisions of Section 19859 to 19868.3, inclusive, or Sections
19858.3 to 19858.7, inclusive of the Government Code, meet the
requirements of this section.
(f) (1) Except as specified in paragraph (2), an employer is not
required to provide compensation to an employee for accrued, unused
paid sick days upon termination, resignation, retirement, or other
separation from employment.
(2) If an employee separates from an employer and is rehired by
the employer within one year from the date of separation, previously
accrued and unused paid sick days shall be reinstated. The employee
shall be entitled to use those previously accrued and unused paid
sick days and to accrue additional paid sick days upon rehiring,
subject to the use and accrual limitations set forth in this section.
An employer is not required to reinstate accrued paid time off to an
employee that was paid out at the time of termination, resignation,
or separation of employment.
(g) An employer may lend paid sick days to an employee in advance
of accrual, at the employer's discretion and with proper
documentation.
(h) An employer shall provide an employee with written notice that
sets forth the amount of paid sick leave available, or paid time off
leave an employer provides in lieu of sick leave, for use on either
the employee's itemized wage statement described in Section 226 or in
a separate writing provided on the designated pay date with the
employee's payment of wages. If an employer provides unlimited paid
sick leave or unlimited paid time off to an employee, the employer
may satisfy this section by indicating on the notice or the employee'
s itemized wage statement "unlimited." The penalties described in
this article for a violation of this subdivision shall be in lieu of
the penalties for a violation of Section 226. This subdivision shall
apply to employers covered by Wage Order 11 or 12 of the Industrial
Welfare Commission only on and after January 21, 2016.
(i) An employer has no obligation under this section to allow an
employee's total accrual of paid sick leave to exceed 48 hours or 6
days, provided that an employee's rights to accrue and use paid sick
leave are not limited other than as allowed under this section.
(j) An employee may determine how much paid sick leave he or she
needs to use, provided that an employer may set a reasonable minimum
increment, not to exceed two hours, for the use of paid sick leave.
(k) For the purposes of this section, an employer shall calculate
paid sick leave using any of the following calculations:
(1) Paid sick time for nonexempt employees shall be calculated in
the same manner as the regular rate of pay for the workweek in which
the employee uses paid sick time, whether or not the employee
actually works overtime in that workweek.
(2) Paid sick time for nonexempt employees shall be calculated by
dividing the employee's total wages, not including overtime premium
pay, by the employee's total hours worked in the full pay periods of
the prior 90 days of employment.
(3) Paid sick time for exempt employees shall be calculated in
the same manner as the employer calculates wages for other forms of
paid leave time.
(l) If the need for paid sick leave is foreseeable, the employee
shall provide reasonable advance notification. If the need for paid
sick leave is unforeseeable, the employee shall provide notice of the
need for the leave as soon as practicable.
(m) An employer shall provide payment for sick leave taken by an
employee no later than the payday for the next regular payroll period
after the sick leave was taken.