An ordinance passed yesterday will require Seattle businesses with five or more employees to provide sick leave for their workers.
There are roughly 200,000 Seattle workers who currently have no sick leave benefit. The new law will affect more than 3/4 of those workers.
Businesses under two years old, and companies with fewer than five employees are exempt. Businesses with 5 - 49 employees will be required to provide 5 days of sick leave per year. Companies with 50 - 249 employees will be required to accrue sick leave at the rate of seven days per year, and businesses employing more than 250 will be required to offer nine days per year.
Washington DC and San Francisco are the only other major cities that mandate paid sick leave. The State of Connecticut also has a paid sick leave law.