Pittsburgh's paid sick leave requirement goes into effect

An ordinance requiring employers in Pittsburgh to provide paid sick leave went into effect Sunday, guaranteeing many employees who work within city limits will still get paid and accrue sick time as coronavirus cases continue to grow.

Under the ordinance, employers with 15 or more employees must give them up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year.

Employers with fewer than 15 employees must provide up to 24 hours of paid sick leave per year. Those businesses can offer unpaid sick time for the first year, but must begin paying workers for time off after that.

City Council passed the paid sick days act Aug. 3, 2015, and voted in January to put it into effect March 15, 2020.