this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2023
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Workers in California will soon receive a minimum of five days of paid sick leave annually, instead of three, under a new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Wednesday.

The law, which takes effect in January, also increases the amount of sick leave workers can carry over into the following year. Newsom said it demonstrates that prioritizing the health and well-being of workers “is of the utmost importance for California’s future.”

“Too many folks are still having to choose between skipping a day’s pay and taking care of themselves or their family members when they get sick,” Newsom said in a statement announcing his action.

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[–] GlitzyArmrest@lemmy.world 157 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A good start, but five days is still a laughable amount. That's literally one illness, one time being sick.

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[–] avater@lemmy.world 123 points 1 year ago (12 children)
[–] speaker_hat@lemmy.one 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] dumdum666@kbin.social 30 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Not true - you do not get infinite sick days

You get your regular salary for up to 6 weeks, after that there is a steep drop in pay - since you receive „sick pay“ then. After 72 weeks sick pay ends. Then you might be eligible for social security.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago (4 children)

"Steep drop" means 80% of your normal pay.

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[–] speaker_hat@lemmy.one 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thanks, compared to 5 days, 6 weeks subjectively feels infinite (for an average healthy employee)

[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's important to point out, this is not people deciding not to come to work for 6 weeks and all is good, government picks up the tab. You actually have to be sick, that is to say doctor opens this leave, confirms there's a need for one, etc.

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[–] Pat_Riot@lemmy.today 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Cries in a different US state where our company busted us from 40 hours of sick time to 24 to make every plant in the country equal to California's minimum because it's the only state with one of our facilities that has a minimum. I'm curious to see if this ends up bringing all our plants up to 40 hours or they hope none of us lowly factory workers pays attention to this sort of thing. I'll be asking at the next communication meeting.

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You know it will be the latter, right?

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[–] theUnlikely@sopuli.xyz 82 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Meanwhile in Germany...

You're legally entitled to six weeks of continuous sick leave paid by your employer, after which your health insurer will take over the costs. If you've had sick leave for the same illness multiple times in the same year, these days will be accumulated. After six weeks of regular paid sick leave, you’ll receive Krankengeld (lit. 'sick money') for a maximum of 90 percent of your wage after taxes for up to 72 weeks.

[–] SasquatchBanana@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Yes, true, but i will take this win.

Newsom increased the minimum wage for fast food workers and now this? I will take these little victories

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[–] Stumblinbear@pawb.social 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Continuous sick leave is different from sick days. Many states require sick leave, and the US guarantees 12 weeks leave through FMLA, though it's unpaid, with the government picking up payments after that (iirc). Regardless, a metric ton of companies offer paid long-term sick leave by just carrying insurance policies that pay out your salary if you have a doctor's note.

I have unlimited vacation time which also applies to sick days, and the company pushes people to use it. I'm looking to have taken around six weeks this year.

I'm aware this is not a common occurrence, but it's not as though there's absolutely no laws around this and nobody has paid sick days at all.

[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Even my shitty little country has universal healthcare and paid sick leave. Employees can call in sick for couple of days, after which they have to open up a sick leave with the doctor. At this point government picks up paying them good chunk of their salary. After two months there's a mandatory panel of doctors meeting which decides if leave needs to be extended further.

[–] ZapBeebz_@lemmy.world 58 points 1 year ago (4 children)

The US Federal Government offers 13 paid sick days a year (that rollover indefinitely)...and between 13 and 26 vacation days (depending on service time)...and all federal holidays off paid. It's not quite on the level of Europe, but it's a damn sight better than most of the rest of the country.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

~~It's more than that...~~

~~6 hrs a pay period for 26 pay periods, divide that by 8 to get days...~~

~~19.5 sick days a year.~~

(I was wrong about that, but still)

Federal employees have one of the strongest unions in the country. But it's not like they can help people outside their own union.

The voters need to elect politicians will to make this stuff legislation for every American worker.

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago (3 children)

What kind of success is that? Asking this coming from a country where we have 6 weeks of sick days before the income is covered by the health care system.

[–] kromem@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

If you tell someone who is starving that you won't give them any food, they might decide there's nothing left to lose and try to fight you for their survival.

If instead you give that person just a bit of food - not enough to actually feed them, just enough to give them hope of satiation - rather than getting a knife in the ribs you might just get a grateful handshake and thanks.

They'll still starve, but with far less struggle.

It's that kind of success.

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[–] Fades@lemmy.world 33 points 1 year ago

five fucking sick days is still COMICALLY AND DISGUSTINGLY low. FUCK this out of control capitalism bs

[–] vin@lemmynsfw.com 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

From the headline I thought it's changing from 3 per month to 5 per month. And I thought, good for you California. Then I read it's per year. What the fuck is wrong with you all?

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

I currently get 8 hours per year (working for the State of California).

[–] enteroninternet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Wait. You guys don't get more than 5 days a year??

If its true I made the right decision to move in UK rather than US.

[–] Ryumast3r@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago

Most states don't even get 5, or 3.

The states that have mandates are (usual suspects incoming):

Arizona - 40 hours

California - 40 hours

Colorado - 48 hours

Connecticut - 40 hours

D.C. - 7 days

Maryland - 64 hours hrs

Massachusetts - 40 hrs

Michigan - 40 hrs

Nevada - 0.01923 hours per hour worked (works out to approximately 40 hours if you work a standard 40hrs/week, 52 weeks/yr

New Jersey - 40 hrs

New Mexico - 64 hrs

New York - 56 hrs

Oregon - 40 hrs

Rhode Island - 40 hrs

Vermont - 40 hrs

Washington - 40 hrs

Some cities/counties have their own requirements but I'm not going to list those. I wish the US did better on Healthcare, but, as with everything, it's the blue states dragging the country forward kicking and screaming.

[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Wait until you hear that 5 is more than most and most states aren't required to give you any. Federal level has no law for sick leave and it's up to states to make one.

Some companies are better than others, like my father has 5 days but each day counts up to 5 consecutive days off under 1 time being sick which to me is way more reasonable.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

Wow, five whole days!? Fuck off.

[–] Nima@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago

Oh thank goodness! a whole extra TWO DAYS! Can ya spare it?

the fact that we have a system in place where you can run out of sick days at all is disgusting.

[–] Nioxic@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In Denmark theres no set amount of sick days per year.

I was at a job that had sick "periods", like being sick once could stretch several days, right? Thats still just being sick 1 time.

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[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 20 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Surprised CA is behind the curve so much on this. Washington gives an hour for every 40 worked which amounts to 5.5 days per year if you are working a 40 hour work week. I think that was passed like a decade ago.

[–] hypelightfly@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I don't think you know what the curve actually looks like if you think this is "behind the curve". The majority of states have 0 paid sick leave by law, CA already had 3 days and is increasing it to 5.

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/state-local-paid-sick-leave-chart.aspx

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[–] uis@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (4 children)

From what kind of sickness they expect to recover in 5 days? Cut finger?

[–] braxy29@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

i guess you could get the flu (if it's not too bad - once had it for about two weeks several years ago).

but then you better NOT need anything else, all year. hopefully you don't have kids either.

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[–] Bonskreeskreeskree@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Can employers say you can use your pto for sick time or does it have to be in addition to pto?

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[–] IverCoder@lemm.ee 14 points 1 year ago

Five days? Even a lot of smaller, unregulated businesses here in the Phillipines offer way more than that.

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 13 points 1 year ago

LoL that's still so few... it's a step in the right direction but also I would argue a huge amount of employees over there are likely contractor tech workers who if my contract is anything to go off of.... literally don't get any sick days just infinite unpaid days off that they don't actually want you to take any of unless the company needs to save a few dollars. I haven't seen a doctor in years and pretty sure I have a cancer spot on my leg.... but oh well don't have insurance that is any good so I'll just die I guess and my dad and incubator can be upset their one good kid failed to make it rich and support either of them.

[–] quams69@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This country fuckin sucks lets gooo

[–] DeanFogg@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

Be grateful for less than 1% of the year off, peasant. Now hold on while I throat this boot

[–] TeamBrett@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

When this happened several years back and they gave us two sick days, our company just went ahead and shifted two of our PTO days to sick days.

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] Serdan@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago (5 children)

What happens if you are sick more than that?

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Unpaid time off if you're lucky.

Fired if you're not.

[–] Serdan@lemm.ee 20 points 1 year ago (20 children)

Uhh... how is there not a guillotine in front of every state capitol building?

I burned out and have been sick for half a year. I've begun working a bit again (aiming for 9 hours / week).

Full pay throughout.

Do Americans not realize just how badly they're getting shafted?

[–] Xanthrax@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Too many boomers think it's a necessary evil, because they used to be able buy a house with minimum wage.

"If I had to do it, so should you..."

[–] Serdan@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I get that they screwed over every subsequent generation, but they're all 60+ at this point. You can just beat them up. What are they gonna do? Be old at you?

More seriously, enough people are impacted by this that if you organized you could have activists hounding the elected representatives every hour of every day. E.g. drown them in lobby visit requests. Also just show up and knock on doors. Be disruptive. Your state is trying to squeeze every last drop of blood out of you. It's not acceptable.

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[–] toxicbubble@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

you get fired & end up among the millions of homeless Americans, along with hospital bills. such is life in capitalist America

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[–] the_post_oftom_joad@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Too many folks are still having to choose between skipping a day’s pay and taking care of themselves or their family members when they get sick,” Newsom said in a statement announcing his action.

Cool but let's not forget what he did earlier this week. He vetoed a bill that would have allowed striking workers unemployment benefits. All he had to do was sign it

And please don't @me with 'perfect being the enemy of good' kinda responses, it was a true slam dunk for workers and unions (unlike this pittance) and he blocked it..

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[–] xc2215x@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Good move from Gavin.

[–] Arin@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Not even enough to cover one covid infection (and you can get infected once a month)

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