COVID supplemental paid sick leave is back.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Wednesday providing workers with up to 80 hours of paid sick leave — through September — and retroactive to the start of the year.
Newsom says paid sick leave is essential to keeping businesses open while protecting workers.
"We started with a half a billion dollars. We added another billion as it relates to the grants, and we realized it wasn't enough, but the legislature moved quickly — to their credit," Newsom said. "They're very in tune because they're in every one of these communities. And these businesses are the anchor to those communities."
The expanded relief applies to all businesses with 26 or more employees, similar to the previous law that expired in September.
The governor is also giving small businesses, restaurants and closed locales $6.1 billion in tax credits, grants and other relief.
Newsom says more pandemic aid for business owners may be added to the state's budget for the coming fiscal year if needed.
