Updates on Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
by Jeanine Sepulveda
Charlie Ng sent us an email recently that highlights many of the main points presented in Senate Bill 114 and its application to us at MCC. In this article, I summarize the details of his message, but you can also read a full breakdown of the information he sent at the end of this page.
Some questions to consider about Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) are:
What changes have taken place to our supplemental paid sick leave?
Will my sick leave be impacted if I need to stay home after receiving a booster shot or vaccine?
Can I get supplemental paid sick leave if I missed work earlier this semester?
These are some concerns we may be thinking about, especially given recent concerns about the Omicron variant, the uncertainty with respect to Covid infection rates county-wide, and the recent bill signed by Governor Newson that impacts our Covid-related supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL), Senate Bill-114. To address them, I’ve put together a brief synopsis of a few key changes to our sick leave pay structure, echoing the message sent by Charlie a short time ago.
California Senate Bill-95, which provided supplemental paid sick leave for employees unable to work due to Covid, expired back in September of 2021. To extend the paid coverage and mitigate concerns about missed work due to Covid-related illness, the governor passed SB-114 just recently on February 9, 2022. This new bill extends employee paid sick leave coverage for a maximum of 80 hours until the end of September of 2022 and retroactively applies back to January 1, 2022. This means that if you missed work due to a covid-related illness in January or February, and HR determines that this absence qualifies for supplemental paid sick leave, you can apply to have the SPSL backfill the hours that were taken from your regular sick leave.
Not only does the SPSL established by SB-114 apply to illness and quarantine due to Covid exposure, but it also covers Covid vaccine and booster shot appointments for ourselves as well as family members. SB-114 even covers loss of work due to post-vaccination or booster related symptoms. Check out Charlie’s message for more details.
Message from Charlie Ng sent on February 17, 2022
In case you missed Charlie Ng’s email, the FA wants to ensure you know about the sick leave, absences, and related retroactive requests!
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“On February 10, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 114 (SB114) into law which provides employees with employer supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) for various COVID-related absences.
SB114 is effective retroactive to January 1, 2022 and will continue through September 30, 2022
All employees are eligible for SPSL.
Eligible employees can receive up to 80 hours of paid supplemental sick leave (prorated for part-time employees) for qualified COVID-related absences, as defined below. Employees who work a variable schedule will have their eligible hours calculated based on a required look-back period.
SPSL pay is based on the employee’s regular rate of pay, up to $511 per day, up to a $5,110 max benefit.
Employees can apply their own accrued leave to supplement the maximum pay if needed to achieve their full regular rate of pay.
A request for SPSL benefits can be made retroactive to January 1, 2022 or due to a current or ongoing need. SPSL benefits will end as of September 30, 2022.
To request SPSL, complete SB 114 SPSL request form (page 1) and SB 114 Leave Certification form (page 2) and submit to Briana Schaeffer, Benefits Technician, bschaeffer@miracosta.edu.
Questions? Contact Carolyn Sneary, Human Resources Supervisor, csneary@miracosta.edu.
Qualified COVID-related Absences:
An employee is eligible for 40 hours (or part-time equivalent) of SPSL leave benefits if they are unable to work or telework due to any of the following reasons:
Caring for Yourself:
The employee is subject to a COVID-19 quarantine or isolation period required by local, state or federal order or guideline (the longest minimum period will apply);
The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19;
The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis;
Vaccine-Related:
The employee is attending an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or booster;
The employee is experiencing symptoms related to a COVID-19 vaccine or booster that prevent the employee from being able to work or telework;
Caring for a Family Member:
The employee is caring for a family member who is subject to a quarantine/isolation order or guideline or who has been advised to self-quarantine;
The employee is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed or otherwise unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19 on the premises;
Qualifying family member is defined as: child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, spouse, domestic partner and sibling.
An employee is eligible for an additional 40 hours of SPSL leave benefits (or part-time equivalent) if they are unable to work or telework due to the following reasons:
Tested Positive for COVID-19:
The employee tests positive for COVID-19;
The employee’s qualifying family member tests positive for COVID-19.
Qualifying family member is defined as: child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, spouse, domestic partner and sibling.
SPSL requests due to a positive COVID-19 test result will require the employee to submit a copy of the positive test result with the SPSL request form.
Retroactive SPSL Requests:
If you reported sick leave due to a COVID-related absence, a request for SPSL benefits can be made to receive retroactive SPSL sick leave IF your absence qualifies for SPSL benefits. If eligible, Payroll will credit back your sick leave hours to your sick leave account.
If you experienced a COVID-related absence which resulted in unpaid time off, a request for SPSL benefits can be made to receive retroactive SPSL sick leave IF your absence qualifies for SPSL benefits.
