An agreement between Governor Newsom and state lawmakers will restore supplemental Covid-19 paid sick time. The deal may add up to two weeks of paid sick time but with a few conditions. 40 hours of sick supplemental leave will be granted for those who get sick with Covid-19, but this leave can't be used to get the vaccine or used in a time of recovering from vaccine side effects. For those cases, only 24 hours of sick time will be granted to recover from possible vaccine caused illness. Workers will get another 40 hours if the worker or another family member tests positive after the first 40 hours are exhausted. This deal is reinstating a similar program that expired last September.
Newsom and lawmakers were under intense lobbying by The Service Employees International Union to revive the sick supplemental law. SEIU president Bob Schoonover said many workers were facing "impossible choices" between illness, recovery, and putting food on the table. He added after advocating for their members and the wider public, "Governor Newsom and the legislators listened. "This paid sick leave applies for all employees in the state, not just state workers, who work for companies that have over 26 employees. This round of sick leave is set to expire on September 30th, 2022. Lawmakers are likely to fasttrack the legislation in order for Newsom to sign it and get it into effect as soon as possible.