We previously advised you that the Portland City Council was considering an ordinance that would require Portland employers to provide sick leave to employees. The Council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance on Wednesday, meaning that Portland will now join a handful of jurisdictions (including Connecticut, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.) that require employers to give employees time off for illness. Similar bills have also been introduced in the state legislature, although it is too soon to predict whether they will pass.

The Portland ordinance, which takes effect on January 1, 2014, generally requires private employers to provide 40 hours of sick leave per year to eligible employees. For employers with six or more employees, the time must be paid; for smaller businesses, leave may be unpaid. Employers that already provide sick leave equivalent to or in excess of what the ordinance requires do not need to make any changes.…

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