HB 5628 Summary

• Renames the "Paid Medical Leave Act" to the "Earned Sick Time Act" and expands the law to apply to all employers with 1 or more employees, eliminating the previous 50-employee threshold.

• Requires employees to accrue a minimum of 1 hour of paid earned sick time for every 30 hours worked, with small businesses (fewer than 10 employees) limited to 40 hours paid and 32 hours unpaid annually, and other employers limited to 72 hours paid annually.

• Expands permitted uses of earned sick time to include school meetings related to a child's disability, health issues, or effects of domestic violence and sexual assault, in addition to existing health and domestic violence-related uses.

• Adds new anti-retaliation protections prohibiting employers from taking retaliatory personnel action against employees for requesting, using, or enforcing earned sick time rights, with a presumption of violation if adverse action occurs within 90 days of protected activity.

• Extends the statute of limitations for filing claims from 6 months to 3 years and allows employees to bring civil actions for remedies including payment for used earned sick time, back wages, reinstatement, and liquidated damages equal to the amount owed plus attorney fees.