Substitute House Bill No. 5005, known as Public Act No. 24-8, is a legislative act that revises and expands the provisions for paid sick leave for employees in the state. The bill amends various definitions, such as "child," "employee," "employer," "family member," "grandchild," "parent," "mental health wellness day," and "paid sick leave," to be more inclusive and reflective of diverse family structures and employment situations. For example, the definition of "child" now includes individuals for whom the employee stands in loco parentis. The bill also removes the exclusion of certain business establishments and nonprofit organizations from the definition of "employer" and eliminates the detailed list of occupations that defined a "service worker," thus broadening the scope of who may be entitled to paid sick leave.

The bill stipulates that employers must provide paid sick leave to all employees, with the accrual of leave beginning at different dates depending on the size of the employer and accruing at a rate of one hour for every thirty hours worked, up to forty hours per year. It allows for the carryover of unused hours and provides options for employers to offer a lump sum of paid sick leave at the beginning of the year. The bill also prohibits employers from requiring employees to find a replacement worker when they use paid sick leave and from taking retaliatory actions against employees. It outlines permissible uses of paid sick leave, removes the requirement for documentation for sick leave of three or more consecutive days, and clarifies that the law does not entitle employees to payment for unused sick leave upon termination unless otherwise provided by policy or collective bargaining agreement. The bill also establishes a task force to study the feasibility of paid sick leave tax credits for small employers and addresses administrative responsibilities and funding related to wage enforcement duties within the Labor Department. The bill was approved on May 21, 2024.

Statutes affected:
LAB Joint Favorable Substitute: 31-57s, 31-57u, 31-57v, 31-57w
File No. 357: 31-57s, 31-57u, 31-57v, 31-57w
File No. 617: 31-57s, 31-57u, 31-57w
Public Act No. 24-8: 31-57s, 31-57u, 31-57v, 31-57w