California COVID-19 sick pay expires soon. Here’s what you should know before it does

Qualifying California employees have until Dec. 31 to claim up to 80 hours of paid sick leave if they missed worked for COVID-related reasons this year.

Also known as “Supplemental Paid Leave,” the program was set to expire in September until Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an end-of-year extension.

With just a few days left in the year, here is everything you should know on COVID-19 sick pay and how to claim it:

Can I claim COVID-19 sick leave?

Although the COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave expires on Dec. 31, employees who filed for sick leave on or before the expiration date “ can finish taking the amount of 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave they are entitled to receive,” according to the California State office Department of Industrial Relations.

Who qualifies for COVID pay and how do I get it?

Full-time employees

If you test positive for COVID-19 you’ll need to provide your manager with a written or verbal request to get sick pay. Full time employees are granted 40 hours of sick pay to either:

If necessary, full-time employees can also request an additional 40 hours COVID-19 sick pay.

Part-time employee

A part-time employee can take sick leave for the amount of hours they have worked over two weeks. If they need to take care of a sick family member, then they only have half of those hours available.

If I work from home do I qualify?

Yes.

At the very least, you need to be a part-time employer at a company with 26 employees or more to qualify. This does, however, not apply to independent contractors.