Tacoma Mandatory Paid Time Off

Last week, the Tacoma City Council announced it would take up the issue of requiring businesses to provide paid time off for all employees.  As reported by the The News Tribune, this paid time off would be available for employees to use for illness; family illness; public health closures; seeking legal assistance; personal or family domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking issues; or bereavement.

While there are still many questions surrounding how many of the details would work, the draft ordinance requires that all employers (except those with unions who waive the requirement) provide 24 hours a year of leave to employees working 960 hours or more.  This is significant progress from the earlier reports of proposals of up to 14 days per year, though the Chamber continues to have reservations about creating local labor laws on a city-by-city basis and the challenges in tracking between jurisdictions.

(For more on some of the challenges, please see our debate on Northwest Now on KBTC [Chamber President & CEO, Tom Pierson starts at 5:34].)

If you have thoughts on this proposal, please contact your councilmembers.  Their emails and phone numbers are at: http://www.cityoftacoma.org/government/city_council