Philadelphia COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Ending

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Philadelphia established paid sick leave protections for employees of businesses with 25 or more employees.

The COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance, which requires these employers to provide up to 40 hours of additional paid sick leave to eligible employees when they are unable to work for certain COVID-19 reasons, will expire on December 31, 2023. However, covered employers will still be required to keep all compliance records for this law for two years (through December 31, 2025).

In addition to the general COVID-19 leave, Philadelphia also established Health Care Epidemic Leave. This is a requirement for city healthcare organizations with 10 or more employees to provide certain employees with additional paid sick leave if the healthcare employee tests positive for COVID-19. The effective period of this law is “during a pandemic or epidemic affecting the City of Philadelphia declared to exist by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or other recognized public interest health organization.”

While the national health emergency ended on May 11, 2023, health officials are not saying the pandemic is over. The Health Care Epidemic Leave requirements will remain in effect until the end of a declared pandemic.

If you have any questions about how the Philadelphia COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance or Health Care Epidemic Leave impacts your business, talk to your counsel and your OneDigital Consultant.