State considers paid leave for workers in ‘climate-related emergency’

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania are considering a bill that would require employers to provide paid leave to employees facing a “climate-related emergency.”

A draft of H.B. 1855, introduced Wednesday, says the state is experiencing an “increasing number of climate-related emergencies, including floods, wildfires, extreme heat events and severe storms,” and that such “(c)limate-related emergencies create unsafe conditions that can prevent workers from safely traveling to or performing their jobs.”

The bill stipulates that such events would need to warrant a declaration of emergency by the governor or the president of the United States and that qualified employees would receive up to 10 days of paid leave.

The bill would establish a state fund, money appropriated by state lawmakers or from federal disaster relief emergency funds, to help employers cover up to 50% of the costs related to providing such leave.

The bill was referred to the House Labor and Industry Committee.