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A new bill, which the legislature passed on Monday, February 7, leaves out at least 1 in 4 California workers, according to CalMatters.
The bill is on its way to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk and will require large employers in the state of California to offer workers up to 80 hours of COVID-19 related paid sick leave.
However, it doesn't apply to small businesses with 25 or fewer workers. According to CalMatters, this applies to over 90% of companies in California and leaves at least 1 in 4 workers without access to the new paid sick leave.
“Both state and federal leaders are to blame here for being short-sighted and not anticipating the need for additional paid leave,” Kristin Schumacher, senior policy analyst for California Budget and Policy Center, told CalMatters.
According to data from California's Employment Development Department, the vast majority of businesses in California have four or fewer. Those workers also earn lower wages than employees at larger firms.
CalMatters does point out that small business employees who are exposed to COVID at work have more protection than workers who get exposed outside of work. Under California's COVID-19 workplace rules, workers who get sick due to workplace exposure are supposed to be sent home with full pay until they are able to work again.