Lawyer: Santa Monica Sick Leave Law May Open Employers to Lawsuits

Santa Monica, CA — The new requirements for sick leave benefits for employees working in Santa Monica became effective July 1 and they can prove costly to employers who are not in compliant, a business lawyer said.

Under the new rule, employees can accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked or up to 48 hours a year. The sick leave can be given at the start of the year or the start of a 12-month period. The law requires any unused sick leave time to be paid out at the time of termination.

It doesn't take much for employers to go afoul with the law, business attorney Kelly O. Scott, told the Legal Newsline -- a legal newswire service.

“I can tell you that it’s mind boggling to a lot of them, especially when you have a business that’s located in multiple locations," he said. "The way these things are written, you don’t even have to have a separate location, if you have employees that are in the field and only work a couple of hours a week in one of these municipalities, you are subject to the law.”

The new Santa Monica law is ripe for lawsuits against employers who don’t comply, Scott said.

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