SAN FRANCISCO (KNX) — San Francisco became the first city in the United States to mandate paid sick leave for domestic workers on Tuesday.
The new legislation, passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, applies to workers in private homes, such as cleaners, caregivers and gardeners, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Domestic Workers Equal Access to Paid Sick Leave Ordinance will apply to as many as 10,000 workers in the city, the majority of whom are women and tend to be immigrants, the paper reported.
"I think these people have been taking care of people in San Francisco for a long time, and it’s about time we care for them," said supervisor Myrna Melgar, as reported by the paper.
Melgar and Supervisor Hillary Ronen sponsored the bill together.
The need for this type of protection became all the more clear as the pandemic wreaked havoc on people's livelihoods.
"If they became ill with the virus, if a family member became ill with the virus, they had no choice," said Kimberly Alvarenga, executive director of the California Domestic Workers Coalition to the paper. "If they didn’t go to work, they didn’t get paid. They were put in an impossible situation with absolutely no economic safety net to support them. This ordinance will provide some equity so when they become ill, they can take a day to take care of themselves, children or family members."
The legislation establishes a paid sick leave benefit that can be applied to multiple household employers, as many of these types of employees work for multiple people.
Portions of paid sick leave, one hour for every 30 hours of work, would be accrued from each employer. The worker can then add them together as needed. A private entity will be hired to monitor and implement the program.
Although the measure has passed, the supervisors will need to take a second vote, and Mayor London Breed will give final approval, the paper reported.
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