UPDATE: Allegheny County’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Takes Effect

Jeremy V. Farrell, jfarrell@tuckerlaw.com, (412) 594-3938

Allegheny County recently announced that its paid sick leave ordinance–which Tucker Arensberg’s labor and employment group previously summarized here–took effect on December 15, 2021.  Existing employees began accruing sick time on that date, at a rate of one hour for every 35 hours worked inside County limits. 

The County has published a poster outlining some of the ordinance’s key provisions (available here), although businesses should consult with their employment attorney about implementing the law–which contains specific requirements relating to, among other things:

• Accrual of paid sick time
• Circumstances for which paid sick time can be used
• Employee notice of the need for leave
• Carryover of accrued sick time
• Calculation of paid sick leave compensation for tipped employees
• Interplay of with existing laws and company-provided sick leave policies; and
• Recordkeeping requirements.

Fortunately for local businesses, while the ordinance is currently effective and enforceable, the County does not intend to impose fines for violations for one year. If you have questions about what steps you have to take to implement this ordinance, please contact Jeremy Farrell at 412.594.3938 or jfarrell@tuckerlaw.com.