Dallas Morning News – By Hayat Norimine
April 1, 2020- Two days before Dallas’ penalties would begin and in the middle of a pandemic, a federal judge’s injunction has stopped the city from enforcing a new ordinance that requires private employers to offer paid sick leave.
In an order filed Monday, U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan granted a preliminary injunction based on state law, which he said prevents cities from enacting their own paid sick leave ordinances. Therefore, the city’s requirements are unenforceable, he said.
“Whether or not paid sick leave requirements should be imposed by government on private employers is an important public policy issue, made even more significant under the challenging circumstances faced by our nation at this moment,” Jordan wrote. “The state of Texas, through its constitutional structure and statutory law, has committed that public policy decision to the Texas Legislature.”
In April 2019, the Dallas City Council voted 10-4 to require businesses to provide earned paid sick time. The ordinance took effect in August but wasn’t scheduled to be enforced with penalties until April.
The ordinance mandated that employers provide an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked for all workers who put in at least 80 hours a year in Dallas.
Small businesses with five or fewer employees weren’t required to comply until August 2021. Businesses with 15 employees or fewer can cap their workers’ accrued paid sick leave at 48 hours a year instead of 64 hours. Independent contractors and government employees were excluded.
Source – https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2020/03/31/federal-judge-stops-dallas-from-enforcing-ordinance-requiring-paid-sick-leave/
