Proposition 206, the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act, went into effect on July 1, mandating paid sick leave for full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees according to Tucson.com. All employers must provide at least 24 hours of paid sick leave per year, those businesses with more than 15 employees must provide a minimum of 40 hours a year.
The law allows for existing plans to remain as long as they comply with the new standards, and employers can allow sick leave to rollover or be cashed out at their discretion. Some business owners are concerned that the new law may hinder their ability to reward employees appropriately.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without my employees,” said Michael Osborne who oversees hundreds of employees at restaurant franchises according to Tucson.com. “I want to do everything possible to take care of them; it just gets difficult when there is too much intervention in my ability to be an employer.”
Proposition 206 also included a minimum wage hike which went into effect earlier this year, but some small businesses were exempted from that hike. Those small businesses will not be exempt from providing paid sick leave.
“A typical businessperson will tell you this is yet another regulatory compliance they just don’t need,” said Michael Varney, president and CEO of the Tucson Metro Chamber according to Tucson.com.
