Los Angeles workers would be able to earn at least six paid sick days annually — twice the state minimum — under a proposed law that the City Council backed Tuesday.
Labor and community activists had pushed for L.A. to increase the mandated amount of time off for local workers who fall ill or need to take care of a loved one, arguing that employees too often are forced to decide between their health and their jobs.
Under the new law, which must be drafted by city attorneys, “no longer will workers have to make a choice between putting food on the table and getting well,” said Rusty Hicks, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.
Some business groups argued that the new requirements would place another burden on employers who already are facing other costly new mandates — including a string of increases to the L.A. minimum wage that eventually will require businesses to pay at least $15 hourly. The California Restaurant Assn., for instance, warned that the new rules could jeopardize small restaurants.
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