Pittsburgh companies with more than 50 employees are required to provide paid sick leave to workers suffering from Covid-19 or quarantined, according to councilor Bobby Wilson legislation introduced on Wednesday. The requirement would apply until 90% of the eligible Pennsylvania population are vaccinated.
The requirement was passed in December, but it should end when either the city or state declarations of emergency have expired.
The city’s declaration of emergency has been in force since March 17, 2020 and has been extended to August 3.
In June, the state legislature passed a resolution ending the declaration, which would have meant that if the law were not changed, sick leave would also end.
Wilson’s proposed revision of the interim law changes the expiry of the request to when 90% of those eligible for the coronavirus vaccine in Pennsylvania have received it.
“The change … will fully support workers and families continue the path we started in Pennsylvania,” said Wilson.
Nobody in the Council opposed the change during a committee meeting on Wednesday and the Council will consider it for adoption next week.
The requirement strengthened protection for such workers after a similar state requirement for paid Covid vacation ended on December 31, 2020.
It differs from the city council’s 2015 legislation which required most employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees. This law has been the subject of a protracted legal battle and came into effect last year. It requires companies with 15 or more employees to be on sick leave of 40 hours per year and companies with fewer than 15 employees to be on sick leave of 24 hours per year.
Tom Davidson is a contributor to Tribune Review. You can contact Tom at 724-226-4715, tdavidson@triblive.com, or on Twitter.
Comments are closed.