Overview
- Amendments effective February 22 require a separate 32-hour unpaid leave bank available on day one of employment, refreshed each calendar year with no carryover or proration, and they codify 20 hours of paid prenatal leave.
- Covered uses now include caregiving for a minor child or care recipient, staying home during declared disasters or severe weather, addressing workplace violence, and handling housing or public benefits matters.
- DCWP published a new Notice of Employee Rights that must be posted and provided to all current employees by March 24 and to new hires, with multilingual distribution where agency translations exist.
- Proposed implementing rules are out for comment, and DCWP will hold a public hearing on March 2 to finalize operational details.
- Employers must update policies and pay-period disclosures to track paid and unpaid balances separately, as the city ramps up enforcement with warnings to 56,000 businesses, data-driven audits of low use, and escalating per‑employee penalties.