On May 18, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors enacted an ordinance making paid vaccine leave available to employees working in the unincorporated areas of the county.The ordinance took effect immediately but is retroactive to January 1, 2021 and remains in effect until August 31, 2021.

Employer means a person, including a corporate officer or executive, who directly or indirectly or through an agent or any other person, including through the services of a temporary service or staffing agency or similar entity, employs or exercises control over the wages, hours, or working conditions of any employee.Federal, state, or local government agencies are not required to comply.

Employee means an individual who performs any work in the unincorporated areas of the county for an employer.An employee who works or is scheduled to work at least 40 hours per week in the two weeks preceding the injection is a full-time employee.A full-time employee can use up to 4 hours of paid vaccine leave per injection.Part-time employees can use a proportionate amount, based on their normally scheduled work hours over the two-week period preceding the injection.

Paid vaccine leave is in addition to any paid sick leave that may be available to an employee under the Healthy Workplace Healthy Family Act.However, the paid vaccine leave is only available if the employee has exhausted all of his/her California supplemental paid sick leave.See comparison chart of paid leave in California from the Department of Industrial Relations webpage.

Paid vaccine leave includes time spent traveling to and from appointments and time spent recovering from symptoms related to receiving the vaccine.An employer may ask an employee to provide written verification of receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine in order to receive paid vaccine leave.Keep in mind all medical information including proof of vaccine must be kept in a confidential medical file separate from the general HR file.

An employer must post in a conspicuous place where employees work a written notice prepared and made available electronically by the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs informing employees of the paid vaccine leave ordinance and his/her rights under the ordinance.

An employer must also keep records necessary to demonstrate compliance with this Ordinance, including accurate and complete payroll records pertaining to each employee for a period of four years.