US | Sat Jun 13, 2015 1:31am EDT

Oregon lawmakers pass paid sick leave bill

PORTLAND | BY COURTNEY SHERWOOD

Oregon will become the fourth U.S. state to mandate paid sick leave for nearly all workers, under legislation passed on Friday and widely expected to be signed by Democrat Governor Kate Brown.

The measure, which was championed by Democratic leaders and opposed by Republicans, passed the Oregon House on a 33-to-24 vote, just two days after winning approval in the Senate.

It requires employers with 10 or more workers to pay for time off due to illness, mandating up to five days off for full-time workers, and allows the use of paid sick leave to care for ill family members.

According to Oregon Senate Democrats, 47 percent of the state's private sector employees do not currently have paid sick leave, with low-wage workers especially unlikely to have access to paid time off.

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