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August 13, 2008

Southwest California Businesses Defeat Multi-Billion Dollar Job-Killer Mandate

Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber President/CEO Kim Cousins (seated) testifies in opposition to AB 2716 in a State Senate hearing in the State Capitol.

The Temecula Valley, Murrieta and Lake Elsinore Valley Chambers of Commerce through their regional advocacy coalition, the Southwest California Legislative Council (SWCLC) along with businesses throughout the region stopped a proposed law, AB 2716, that would have unreasonably expanded employer’s costs and liability by mandating a specific paid sick leave policy.

The SWCLC testified in opposition to the proposed law in a California State Senate Committee in Sacramento last month and hand-delivered over 100 letters of opposition from the Temecula Valley, Murrieta and Lake Elsinore Valley businesses.

“Businesses throughout our region responded quickly when we educated them on the devastating impacts this proposal would have had on our business community,” stated Greg Morrison SWCLC Chair.

The proposed sick leave law, also known as AB 2716, would have covered all employees, so that part-time, seasonal and temporary workers would earn paid sick days. The proposed law mandated, without exception, that all employers provide paid sick leave to an employee after seven days of work in a calendar year to care for their own illness, or to provide to a sick child, spouse, domestic partner or other relative. Furthermore, AB 2716 would have created a record-keeping system in order to keep track of the mandated sick leave time even after an employee left his or her job in case that employee returned to work some time later.

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