Under Allegheny County’s Sick Leave Ordinance, effective December 15, 2021, an employer with 26 or more employees must provide each employee at least one hour of paid sick time for every 35 hours worked within the geographic boundaries of the County. A “covered employee” under the Ordinance does not include independent contractors, State and Federal employees, or seasonal employees.
Employees shall be permitted to accrue no more than 40 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer designates a higher amount. Unused sick time can be carried over from one calendar year to the next up to the maximum of 40 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year. Employers with a paid leave policy that provides paid leave sufficient to meet the Ordinance’s accrual requirements are not required to provide additional sick time. Employees begin to accrue paid sick time on the first day of employment. The accrued paid sick time can be used starting on the 90th calendar day of their employment.
The paid sick time may be used for:
- an employee’s mental or physical illness, injury or health condition; an employee’s need for medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition; an employee’s need for preventative medical care;
- care of a family member with a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition; care of a family member who needs medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition; care of a family member who needs preventative medical care; or
- closure of the employee’s place of business by order of a public official due to a public health emergency or an employee’s need to care for a child whose school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency, or care for a family member when it has been determined by the health authorities having jurisdiction or by a health care provider that the family member’s presence in the community would jeopardize the health of others because of the family member’s exposure to a communicable disease, whether or not the family member has actually contracted the communicable disease.
An employer may not transfer, demote, discharge, suspend, reduce hours, or directly threaten such actions against a covered employee who requests or uses accrued sick time, reports or attempts to report a violation of the Ordinance, participates or attempts to participate in an investigation or proceeding under the Ordinance, or otherwise exercises any rights under the Ordinance.
Posting Requirement
Covered employers must display the Allegheny County, PA Paid Sick Time Poster in English, Spanish, and any other primary languages of employees at the workplace. (Allegheny County Paid Sick Leave Ordinance, Sec. 2406) The poster must be at least 8.5″ x 11.”
Employers must also give written notice that employees are entitled to paid sick time, the amount of paid sick time, and the terms of its use guaranteed under the law, that relations against employees who request or use paid sick time is prohibited and that each employee has the right to file a complaint with the Allegheny County Department of Administrative Services if paid sick time as required by the law is denied by the employer or the employee is retaliated against for requesting or taking paid sick time. Failure to comply with the notice requirement may result in a $100 fine for each separate offense.