A new law that went into effect on July 1 will apply to some Georgia small business’ sick leave policies, but isn’t too burdensome.
The measure does not mandate that employers offer paid sick days, but it does require that those who do allow employees to use that leave to care for a sick child, spouse, parent, grandchild, grandparent, or any other dependent claimed on their most recent tax return. Only companies with at least 25 people on staff are affected, and businesses with an employee stock ownership plan are exempted. The law also applies to only five days of earned sick leave per year.
The Dalton Daily Citizen quoted NFIB/GA State Director Nathan Humphrey’s take on the law: “It was pretty innocuous. This bill does not really do a whole lot, really.” Humphrey noted that Georgia’s small businesses will not be impacted much and that most employers who offer sick leave probably already allow employees to take the time to care for sick loved ones, but that it just might not be an official policy.
However, Humphrey expressed concern about the precedent set by the bill. In the long term, he says, the law could be a placeholder for increased government intervention on an issue that is better left to employers and employees to sort out.
Unless lawmakers renew it, the law will expire in 2020.
