Spokane City Council overrides veto, requires employers to provide paid sick leave

Employers in Spokane will be required to provide their workers with paid sick leave.

As expected, the Spokane City Council on Monday overrode Mayor David Condon’s veto of the sick leave policy the council approved earlier this month.

Only Councilman Mike Fagan opposed the override.

Under the city law, businesses with fewer than 10 workers must provide three days of sick leave, and businesses with 10 or more must provide five days. Businesses would have to provide employees one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours they work until they reach 24 hours or 40 hours, depending on the size of the business.

Construction workers are exempt from the requirement, as are those in work-study positions and seasonal and temporary employees. The leave must be available for sickness, bereavement, to take care of a sick loved one or to deal with a domestic violence situation.