Rules Committee advances emergency paid‑leave ordinance for large private employers; health‑care amendment continued

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on a remote meeting advanced an emergency ordinance intended to require private employers with 500 or more employees to provide an additional two weeks of public‑health emergency leave during the COVID‑19 emergency, referring the amended file to the full Board and continuing one substantive amendment for further work.

Supervisor Matt Marr, the measure’s sponsor, told the committee the ordinance "will immediately give an additional 2 weeks paid leave to any San Francisco employee of a private company with 500 or more employees," and said the measure was designed to close what he called a federal loophole that exempted the largest employers. Marr said the proposal covers employees who are furloughed, temps, single local employees, and even workers who do not live in San Francisco but who work here; it excludes public employees, the unemployed, workers employed by firms with fewer than 500 employees, and independent contractors.

Marr summarized seven amendments, including a provision to allow health‑care providers to access leave when quarantined or sick, expanded uses for vulnerable populations (including people age 60 and older), a requirement that employer notices be provided in English, Spanish, Chinese and any language spoken by 5% or more of a workforce, and language allowing employers to count voluntary paid leave already provided toward the new requirement if it meets the ordinance’s standard.

Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson told the committee the amendment affecting health‑care employers was substantive and would require a continuance; she said other proposed amendments were non‑substantive and could move forward. At Marr’s request the committee duplicated the file to send the non‑substantive amendments to the full Board as a committee report while continuing the duplicated file, with the substantive health‑care amendment, to a later Rules Committee meeting.

Public commenters included an organizer with SEIU United Service Workers West urging rapid passage and extension of coverage to airport workers; Sheila Tully of the California Faculty Association at San Francisco State saying students are "really, really desperate"; Elsa Soriano, a 63‑year‑old retail worker with diabetes, who asked the Board for help paying rent and food; and Kong Fang of the Justice, Labor Community Coalition urging city leadership on paid leave. Emily Abraham of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce said the Chamber was broadly supportive and thanked Marr for clarifications that voluntary employer leave could be credited and that companies with unlimited leave would qualify. Chris Wright of the Committee on Jobs asked for crediting of prior employer benefits and requested an additional week to review language so businesses would not be penalized for having generous policies.

On a series of recorded voice votes, Supervisors Marr, Stephanie and Chair Ronan voted to adopt the non‑substantive amendments, to duplicate the file and to send a committee report to the Board, and to amend and continue the duplicated file to the April 13 Rules Committee meeting. The committee clerk summarized that the original motion had been amended and referred to the Board, and that the duplicated file was continued for further consideration.

The committee did not adopt a final ordinance at the meeting; the next procedural steps are the full Board consideration of the committee report and the Rules Committee hearing on the substantive health‑care provider amendment on the scheduled continued date.