S.F. supes vote to make hiring rules permanent
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance Tuesday that would create a more permanent “right to reemployment” for some workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic, enshrining some of the protections enacted through temporary emergency ordinances dating back to last year.
Spearheaded by Supervisor Gordon Mar, the ordinance passed the full board 101, with Supervisor Catherine Stefani voting against it.
It requires certain employers to offer people their jobs back after having been laid off due to the pandemic when they are hiring for the same or a similar position. It also requires companies to make reasonable accommodations for employees who are unable to work because of family care.
The ordinance was amended last month to apply to retail grocery stores larger than 15,000 square feet, large hotels and food service operations as defined by the city, and restaurants that employ more than 200 people, among other affected businesses.
Certain retail employers with more than 20 workers and other businesses with more than
100 employees that do not fall under the other categories are also included.
The board passed a similar emergency ordinance last summer that applied to larger businesses that laid off at least 10 workers because of the economic situation created by the pandemic during any 30day period dating to late February 2020. The measure focused on companies with more than 100 employees and was renewed three times before expiring last month.
Stefani also opposed the original measure, saying it could hamper the ability of even small businesses to open.
“In theory this sounds like a good idea but in practice I believe it has serious negative outcomes,” Stefani said during a hearing in January. She stressed the ordinance could slow hiring for some local businesses already at the breaking point because of the pandemic.
“While I appreciate Supervisor Mar’s amendments, I remain concerned that this legislation negatively impacts women,” Stefani said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “Given that this benefits employees with longest tenure, it likely provides a greater advantage for men over women because women are very likely to have interruptions in employment due to family care obligations.”
Mar acknowledged some of the challenges last year when the emergency ordinance was being considered, focusing it on larger employers and foregoing protections for some workers at smaller businesses.
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a state bill last year that would have created similar rights to reemployment for many workers statewide, saying at the time the Legislature should consider other ways of solving the issue.
Mayor London Breed now has 10 days to sign the ordinance, veto it, or allow it to become law without signing it. It would take effect 30 days afterward.