Paid Sick and Safe Leave of Absence Laws Reach the South
There is no federal law requiring purely private employers to offer paid leave of absence to their employees. However, states, counties, and cities are ever-increasingly enacting legislation that affects employers' obligations to provide their employees paid time off for sick or safe time. More progressive legislative bodies have enacted requirements for employers to award employees one hour of paid leave for every thirty or forty hours worked. Generally, paid leave laws allow eligible employees to accrue paid time off to care for themselves, their children, and certain family members due to sickness, sexual assault, or domestic violence. Opposite of this growing trend, many states have unfurled preemption legislation that bans local municipalities from requiring employers to provide certain employment benefits, including paid sick leave. Click here for more information.