If your daily commute involves enduring the Schuylkill Expressway or hopping on Septa Regional Rail to Philadelphia, a city ordinance that took effect in May 2015 applies to you. Although you may live in the suburbs, if you are a full- or part-time employee who works at least 40 hours per year for a Philadelphia business the new “Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces” ordinance brings you new benefits. What does this mean? Through this legislation, you now accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. The maximum for each year is 40 hours.
Most Employers with Less Than 10 Employees May be Exempt from Providing Paid Sick Leave
While this ordinance applies to all employers conducting business within the city of Philadelphia, those with less than 10 employees are required to provide only unpaid sick leave. They are required to do so, however, at the same rate as those businesses providing paid sick leave. The Philadelphia Department of Commerce reports that “certain chain establishments are required to provide paid sick leave regardless of the number of employees at the chain’s Philadelphia location.”
Expansive Coverage But Not All Types of Employees are Eligible
There are a few employment situations where this paid sick leave ordinance will not apply. According to this flyer from the Philadelphia Department of Commerce providing a summary of the legislation, it does not apply to:
- Independent Contractors
- Seasonal Workers
- Adjunct Professors
- Employees hired for a term of less than 6 months
- Interns
- Pool employees
- Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements
- State and Federal employees
To read the full legislation, click here. We are also happy to guide you through this new ordinance and answer any questions you might have as it relates to your payroll services. Contact us at 215-723-4881 or click here to contact us online.