LA Council approves motion that would require paid time off for COVID shots
Businesses of all sizes in the city of Los Angeles would be required to provide workers with supplemental paid sick leave to obtain COVID-19 vaccines and recover from any possible side effects under a measure heading toward Mayor Eric Garcetti’s desk Thursday.
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a motion by Councilman Paul Koretz that would require employers to provide up to four hours of paid time off to obtain each injection, and up to eight hours for recovery from any side effects.
State law already requires employers with 25 or more workers to provide 80 hours of COVID-related sick leave for full-time employees. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a measure last week covering smaller employers in unincorporated areas.
The action approved by the council covers employers of any size within the city to provide the paid time off for vaccinations and recovery, if necessary.
“Unfortunately, vaccination rates in the city and nationwide have been waning in the last month — so much that our largest vaccination sites are shuttering — while our most disadvantaged communities, and Angelenos who have served as essential workers and on the front lines this pandemic have been left to choose between making ends meet and getting vaccinated,” Koretz said in a statement.