Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz released a proposed ordinance that, if passed, would require employers with six or more employees to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year. Employers with five or fewer employees would be required to provide 40 hours of unpaid sick leave. In both cases, employees must work at least 240 hours in a calendar year in Portland to be eligible for sick leave.
Under the proposed ordinance, employees would be able to use sick leave for a variety of reasons, including:
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For an employee's personal mental or physical illness, including pregnancy, childbirth and preventive medical care;
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To care for a family member with an illness, injury or medical appointment;
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If the employee's place of business closes for a public health emergency, or to care for a child whose school or day care closes for a similar reason; and
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For reasons related to domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking.
Employers that provide employees with a minimum of 40 hours of paid or unpaid time off per calendar year would not be required to provide additional sick leave, as long as the employer's policy allows leave to be taken for the same reasons as provided in the proposed ordinance.
Employees would accrue hours at the beginning of employment; however, an employee would not be able to use sick leave until he or she accumulates eight hours of leave time.
The proposed ordinance would prohibit employers from requiring an employee to:
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Find a replacement as a condition of using sick time; and
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Verify absences lasting fewer than three days (except in limited circumstances).
The proposed ordinance further requires employers to notify employees of their entitlement to paid sick time.
Employees are required to provide reasonable notice of the need to take sick time. If the need for leave is foreseeable, employees are required to provide notice as soon as possible. If the need for leave is not foreseeable, employees should provide notice as soon as practicable.
If passed, the law would take effect January 1, 2014.
Additional Resources
Employee Leaves > Other Leaves: Oregon
