Labor & Employment (Paid Leave)

SB 470 amends Oklahoma's Quality Jobs Program to require businesses seeking incentive payments to provide new employees with at least 12 weeks of paid family leave and an additional 2 weeks of paid leave. This applies specifically to new direct jobs created under the program, directly affecting qualifying businesses that apply for incentives after the bill's effective date. The requirement supplements existing criteria, such as minimum payroll thresholds ($2.5 million annually for most industries) and workforce composition rules. Businesses must meet this leave provision to maintain eligibility for quarterly incentive payments over a 10- or 30-year period, depending on industry classification. The bill does not change payment amounts or existing eligibility thresholds for payroll or job creation.

SB 563 allows Oklahoma county employees to take up to three paid workdays per year for election duties. It authorizes county boards of commissioners to create policies enabling qualified employees to use this leave to serve as precinct officials, absentee voting board members, or other election workers. The bill requires counties to develop these policies in coordination with the county election board. This change directly affects county employees who wish to participate in elections without losing pay, while ensuring election staffing needs are met.

HB 1963, the Oklahoma Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, would require most Oklahoma employers to provide paid sick leave to employees. Employees would earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, with small businesses (under 20 employees) limited to 40 hours annually and other employers required to provide up to 56 hours. The leave can be used for personal or family health needs, including care for covered family members as defined in the bill. Employers with existing paid leave policies meeting these standards would not need to provide additional sick time.

This bill proposes creating Oklahoma's first state-run paid family and medical leave insurance program. It would provide eligible workers (including employees and self-employed individuals who opt in) with up to 12 weeks of paid leave annually for childbirth, caring for a seriously ill family member, or personal medical needs. Benefits would be calculated based on the worker's average weekly earnings during their base period, with employers required to provide notice about the program and protect workers from retaliation for using benefits. The Oklahoma Department of Labor would administer the program, establish claim procedures, and require employers to maintain existing leave obligations.

SB 1201 extends paid maternity leave and adds explicit adoption leave for Oklahoma education employees. It amends statutes (70 O.S. §§ 6-104.1, 6-104.5, 6-104.6, and others) to require school districts to provide adoption leave comparable to maternity leave, extend the duration of paid maternity leave, and update the "Public School Paid Maternity Leave Revolving Fund" to cover adoption leave. The bill directly affects K-12 teachers and full-time school staff, ensuring they receive paid leave for childbirth, adoption, or related recovery periods. It also modifies a leave-sharing program to allow sick leave donations for adoption-related needs.

SB 1202 expands paid leave options for Oklahoma education employees by adding paternity and adoption leave to existing maternity leave provisions. The bill directly affects teachers and full-time school staff, requiring school districts to provide up to 90 days of paid leave for new parents or adoptive parents during a child’s first year. Key mechanisms include updating retirement credit rules for leave-taking and establishing a leave-sharing program where colleagues can donate sick leave to support employees caring for newborns, newly adopted children, or facing serious health issues. The legislation modifies related statutes to replace "maternity" with inclusive terms like "parental" leave and updates fund names and purposes.