The City of Pittsburgh’s Office of Equal Protection (OEP) has announced that it will begin strict enforcement and compliance checks for local businesses to ensure they are complying with their obligations under the Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act (Ordinance). The “compliance campaign” will focus on the food services industry.

Compliance Investigations to Focus on Food Service Industry

Beginning in early 2024, OEP will conduct compliance investigations into food service businesses according to zip code, starting in 15201 and 15203.

While the compliance campaign will focus on the food service industry, businesses in other industries are not exempt from the requirements of the Ordinance.

Ordinance

The Ordinance requires employers with at least 15 employees to provide employees up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year. Employees accrue paid sick time at a rate of one hour of leave for every 35 hours worked in Pittsburgh. Employers with fewer than 15 employees must also provide paid sick leave at the same accrual rate, up to 24 hours per year.

The Ordinance applies not only to employees who work for an employer located inside the geographic boundaries of the City of Pittsburgh, but also to employees who work in the City, even if the employer is not physically present there, so long as the employee performs work for the employer within the geographic boundaries of the City of Pittsburgh for at least 35 hours in a calendar year.