Last week, the governor of California signed a variety of labor and employment bills into law that will expand both family leave and sick leave benefit requirements within the private sector. California companies are upset by these measures as they will likely exacerbate staffing issues amidst a competitive labor market. Advocates for paid-leave programs in California believe the new legislation is critical to ensure equity within the existing leave program. However, these changes will cost California employers more money as well as add further intricacies to the preexisting complex workplace policy.
See "California companies restrained by new laws expanding leave benefits in the private sector", Austin R. Ramsey and Chris Marr, Bloomberg Law, October 4, 2022