California enacts 2020 legislation affecting Central Coast employees

California minimum wage increased on Wednesday ahead of a paid family leave extension going into effect in later this year.

As of January 1st, state minimum wage went up by a dollar. For smaller businesses with 25 employees or less, it's $12 an hour. For larger businesses, it's $13 dollars an hour.

The minimum wage has been increasing by a dollar every year since 2017. At this rate, the state will reach its cap of $15 an hour in 2023. According to the state, Governor Newsom has the authority to suspend these incremental increases.

“For me, it’s a good start for this year—having a good, high minimum wage," Salinas resident Albert Ruiz said. "As I said, like, it would entice more people to find more jobs and to do good—whatever they want to do.”

But other residents say they're concerned that the need to pay workers more will put a financial strain on employers. They worry that it will potentially push those employers to cut jobs.

Minimum wage has increased in 20 different states now that it's January of 2020 and more states are following suit later this year.

Another law that will affect employees on the Central Coast this year is an extension of paid family leave. As of July 2020, California will offer employees up to eight weeks of benefits while they stay home for various familial reasons.

That could involve caring for a sick family member or bonding with a child. If they're staying home to care for a child, that needs to happen within a year of that child's birth or adoption.

Up until this year, the maximum amount of time that an employee could stay home for these reasons was six weeks.

“It just depends," Ventura County resident Hector Quintero said. "I mean, as a businessperson, you might disagree with it, and as an employee, you might benefit from it. So it just depends what kind of employer you are as well. I mean, there’s good employers, there’s bad employers, there’s good employees, there’s bad employees. And I hate to say this on tv, but it’s reality.”

This option is for employees who have paid into the state disability insurance program in the last 5 to 18 months. According to the state, that's taken out of most employees paychecks through a payroll tax.

Employees do not have to take their eight weeks all at once. They can break that time up if they would like to do so.