Commonly referred to as a “kin care” law, Georgia’s new leave law applies to employers with 25 or more employees and employees who work at least 30 hours per week. It allows qualifying employees to use up to five days of paid sick leave per year to care for their “immediate family members” or their children, spouse, parents, grandchildren, grandparents or any person identified as a dependent on the employee’s most recent tax return. Employees can only use accrued sick leave and must use such leave in accordance with the terms of their employer’s policy.
Nothing in the new law requires an employer to offer sick leave. It is limited to only those employers that already provide sick leave to their employees or that offer such leave in the future. Likewise, employers are neither required to offer a set amount of paid sick leave nor allow employees to use more than five days of paid sick leave per calendar year for the care of their immediate family member.
Coverage: Georgia employers with 25 or more employees. “Employee-owned ” businesses, i.e. business in which an employer offers an employee a stock ownership plan, are not covered by the law.
Effective: July 1, 2017
Action Required: If you offer paid sick leave, you should review your policy and update it as appropriate to ensure that eligible employees are permitted to use up to five days of paid sick leave to care for their immediate family members. You should also contact your Human Resources Business Partner if you have any questions.