Tag Archive for: paid sick leave

Montgomery County, MD Paid Sick Leave Law

/in , , /by

A new law provides paid sick leave to all employees working in Montgomery County.

The Montgomery County, Maryland Council has enacted an Earned Sick and Safe Leave Law that takes effect October 1, 2016. This law will allow employees to take paid time off to care for themselves or covered individuals.

Who Are Covered Individuals?

Covered individuals are defined as:

  • a biological, adopted, foster, or stepchild of the employee;
  • a child that the employee has legal or physical custody or guardianship of;
  • a child that the employee is the primary caregiver to;
  • a biological, adoptive, foster, or stepparent of the employee or the employee’s spouse;
  • the legal guardian of the employee;
  • an individual who served as the primary caregiver of the employee when the employee was a minor;
  • the spouse of the employee;
  • a grandparent of the employee;
  • the spouse of a grandparent of the employee;
  • a grandchild of the employee;
  • a biological, adopted, or foster sibling of the employee; or
  • the spouse of a biological, adopted, or foster sibling of the employee.

Accrual Rates Depend on the Number of Employees

Employees will accrue sick and safe leave time at the rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. Employers with five or more employees are required to provide up to 56 hours of paid sick and safe leave per year. Those with fewer than five employees are required to provide up to 32 hours of paid sick and safe leave and 24 hours of unpaid sick and safe leave per year.

How to Communicate the Notice to your Employees

The Office of Human Rights will publish a model notice for employers to use and provide to their employees. According to GovDocs Compliance Research Counsel, Anne Jakala, Esq., the notice requirement can be met by one of three ways:

  • Display the model notice or another notice containing the same information in a conspicuous and accessible area at each of the employer’s work locations in the County;
  • Include the notice in an employee handbook or other written guidance distributed to all employees;
  • Distribute the notice to each employee when hired.


Earned Sick and Safe Leave Bill Posting Requirements

The notice is required to be provided to all employees in some form, but because the notice is not required to be posted, the posting is not considered mandatory. GovDocs will continue to monitor for the release of the model notice.

Oregon: New State and City Paid Sick Leave Laws

/in , /by

Employers in Oregon need to know about a new statewide Paid Sick Leave law and its effect on similar measures in Portland and Eugene.

The State of Oregon enacted a Paid Sick Leave law that takes effect January 1, 2016, and it may trump similar laws at the municipal level in Oregon.

  • Portland already has a similar law in effect – the Portland Protected Sick Time Ordinance. The new Oregon State law will incorporate Portland’s rules into it by carving out exceptions for cities with over 500,000 in population. Portland’s notice is applicable until January 1, 2016. After January 1, it is believed that the State law requirements will be applicable and the Portland rules & posting will be repealed.
  • Eugene had passed a city Paid Sick Leave ordinance that was set to be in effect on July 1, 2015, however the State bill explicitly preempts all local governments’ sick leave requirements and Eugene’s ordinance will be repealed.

Oregon Paid Sick Leave Posting Requirements

The law requires a written notice to be provided to employees regarding the requirements of the new Oregon Paid Sick Leave law. However, GovDocs Compliance Research Counsel, Anne Jakala, Esq. said there is no language explicitly defining whether that notice must be posted or provided in person.

“We anticipate the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries is expected to provide a template notice, but GovDocs will continue to monitor the Bureau of Labor and Industries for the release of any further clarification regarding this law.” Anne Jakala, Esq.

U.S. City Posting Requirements

More than 40 municipal governments in the U.S. have issued notices that employers must display in workplaces – and the trend is increasing. Cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Albuquerque, and Philadelphia have all issued ordinances that affect workers in those cities with corresponding labor law postings.

GovDocs provides ongoing labor law posting compliance coverage for North America’s largest employers. Under our Update Program, employers receive the latest Federal, State, and City required postings automatically and at no extra charge. This takes the guesswork out of posting compliance for large companies with locations in multiple cities and states.