California small business owners will have to offer their employees unpaid family leave under Gov. Brown’s newly signed legislation.
Starting January 1, 2018, California small businesses will be required to offer 12 weeks of unpaid family leave to nearly 2.8 million workers, according to the Sacramento Bee. Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 63, enacting it into law, in October. California accompanies nine other states in providing small business employees with protected family leave.
The new legislation requires small businesses that have between 20 to 49 employees to provide the 12 weeks of unpaid family leave in the time frame of one year of the child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement. Only employees with 1,250 hours under their belt at the job, or one year experience, are eligible for the leave.
Many business groups have called the new law a “job killer.” The legislation could force small business owners to cut back on benefit offerings to their employees or to eliminate other arrangements in order to comply with the mandated time off.