1. COVID-19 Resources

What If I Might be Sick or Have Been Exposed?

Paid Sick Leave (at least 5 days or 40 hours per year)

Under California's permanent paid sick leave law: if you work as an employee in California for at least 30 days in a year, you are probably covered, whether you are a full-time, part-time, or temporary worker.

California's permanent paid sick leave law gives workers sick time that can be used to:

  • Recover from physical/mental illness or injury
  • To seek medical diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care
  • To care for a family member who is ill or needs medical diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care
  • Self-isolate as a result of potential exposure to COVID-19

You can earn one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked. The sick leave that your employer is required to provide may be limited to 40 hours or five days per year, whichever is more.

Learn more about how to use these hours in the Paid Sick Leave infographic.

Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for COVID-19 Expired December 31, 2022

In 2022, there was additional paid time off available due to COVID-19. Employers with 26 or more employees had to provide 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL). SPSL provided up to 80 hours of COVID-19 related paid leave from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. Up to 40 of those hours could be used for isolation and quarantine, receiving vaccines and caring for a child whose school or place of care was closed. The additional 40 hours were available only when an employee, or family member for whom the employee provides care, tested positive for COVID-19.

Read Frequently Asked Questions on SPSL.

Exclusion Pay requirements from the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards expired in February 2023. Non-Emergency COVID-19 Prevention Regulations that do not include Exclusion Pay requirements are in effect. Read more about the non-emergency regulations and the ETS.

If You or a Co-worker are Denied Paid Sick Leave

If you know of an employer that has refused to provide paid sick as required by law, or who prevents workers from accessing paid sick hours, you can report the employer by leaving a message on the Paid Sick Leave Toll Free Hotline: (855) LCO‑SPSL (855‑526‑7775).

Please speak slowly and clearly to report a business' failure to provide required paid sick leave  or  California Supplemental Paid Sick Leave. Include the following information in your message:

  • Business Name
  • Business Address/Worksite
  • Business Phone Number
  • Manager or Supervisor if known
  • Explain the violation you are reporting
  • Your Name and Contact information (only for the purpose of clarifying the tip, unless you decide to file a wage claim)

More Resources

December 2023