As of January 1, 2024, California law requires employers to provide employees 5 days or 40 hours of paid sick leave per year (employees accrue one hour per every 30 hours worked under an accrual plan). Employers cannot deny employees the right to use their paid sick leave, fire them, or otherwise retaliate against them for using or attempting to use paid sick days to miss work for qualifying reasons. Also, employers cannot require employees to find a replacement worker to cover for absences when employees seek to exercise paid sick leave.
Employees who become victims of unlawful paid sick days retaliation are entitled to get their job back and actual damages, including back pay, from employers.