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Board adopts emergency ordinance extending paid leave for employees of large private employers during COVID‑19
Summary
The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an emergency ordinance requiring private employers with 500 or more employees to provide additional public health emergency paid leave to covered employees; the ordinance was introduced by Supervisor Matt Haney and cosponsored by multiple members and enacted following roll call.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted an emergency ordinance on April 7, 2020, requiring private employers with 500 or more employees to provide public health emergency paid leave during the COVID‑19 crisis.
Supervisor Ahsha Safae (note: transcript uses last names; the speaker is recorded as Supervisor Marr who introduced the item) and, more prominently, Supervisor Gordon Mar (as recorded in the roll call transcript as “Supervisor Marr”), introduced and explained the ordinance. Supervisor Marr said the ordinance would immediately grant covered employees up to two additional weeks of paid leave to take care of themselves or family members during the pandemic. “If you work in San Francisco for a large private employer… you’re eligible,” Marr said, explaining that eligibility included temp workers and people who recently started working in the city.
Marr described broad stakeholder engagement during drafting and listed labor and community organizations involved in developing the measure, including Jobs with Justice San Francisco, the San Francisco Labor Council, SEIU United Service Workers West and others. The ordinance was described as taking effect upon passage and signature by the mayor. Marr said a duplicate measure would be considered later to expand leave for some health care providers.
During roll call, the ordinance (Item 16) passed unanimously with 11 ayes. The board’s clerk recorded the votes of Supervisors Preston, Ronan, Safaie, Stephanie, Walton, Yi, Feuer, Haney, Mandelmann, Mar and Peskin as recorded on the transcript. The board placed the ordinance on final passage during the meeting and indicated it was adopted unanimously.
Ending: The ordinance took effect upon adoption; supervisors asked city staff and the city attorney to finalize implementing orders and noted that complementary measures were being prepared to expand coverage for additional worker categories. The clerk was directed to transmit the adopted ordinance for the mayor’s signature and administrative implementation.
