Pandemic sick leave set to expire in California

California's COVID sick leave policy ending

Pandemic sick leave policy will expire at the end of the month. Now there is concern that people will go to work even if they are infected with COVID.

California's special COVID sick leave policy is due to expire at the end of the month.

The policy, enacted earlier this year, was funded by the federal government and requires an extra two weeks paid sick days.

The law covered millions of Californians, enabling them to use sick time to get tested for COVID, recover from the side effects of a vaccination or care for a sick family member.

Some are concerned the timing is bad to end the policy, because the spread of the Delta variant has led to increased hospitalization rates. They say they want to extend the policy because low-income workers may keep working even if they are infected with the virus.

State legislators would have to act before Friday to keep the COVID sick-leave policy in place.

A variety of government programs that were designed to lessen the blow of the COVID pandemic are coming to an end.

Increased jobless benefits from the federal government have come to an end earlier this month. The eviction moratorium that protected tenants unable to pay their rent due to the pandemic is also set to lapse at the end of September.

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