(a) The purpose of this chapter is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the City of Dallas by providing employees with the ability to accrue and use earned paid sick time when they need to be absent from work because the employee or the employee's family member suffers illness, injury, stalking, domestic abuse, sexual assault, or otherwise requires medical or health care, including preventative care and mental health care.
(b) The denial or deprivation of earned paid sick time to employees is detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Dallas and is within the power and responsibility of the city to prevent. (Ord. 31181)
In this chapter:
(1) CITY means the City of Dallas, Texas.
(2) DEPARTMENT means the department designated by the city manager to implement, administer, and enforce this chapter.
(3) DIRECTOR means the director of the department designated by the city manager to implement, administer, and enforce this chapter and includes representatives, agents, or department employees designated by the director.
(4) EARNED PAID SICK TIME means a period of paid leave from work accrued by an employee in accord with this chapter.
(5) EMPLOYEE means an individual who performs at least 80 hours of work for pay within the City of Dallas, Texas in a year for an employer, including work performed through the services of a temporary or employment agency. Employee does not mean an individual who is an independent contractor according to Title 40, Section 821.5 of the Texas Administrative Code. Employee does not mean an unpaid intern.
(6) EMPLOYER means any person, company, corporation, firm, partnership, labor organization, non-profit organization, or association that pays an employee to perform work for an employer and exercise control over the employee's wages, hours, and working conditions. The term does not include:
(A) the United States government, any of its departments or agencies, or any corporation wholly owned by it;
(B) the government of the State of Texas or any of its departments, agencies, or political subdivisions;
(C) the City of Dallas, Texas; or
(D) any other agency that cannot be regulated by city ordinance.
(7) FAMILY MEMBER means a spouse, child, parent, any other individual related by blood, or any other individual whose close association to an employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.
(8) MEDIUM OR LARGE EMPLOYER means an employer with more than 15 employees at any time in the preceding 12 months, excluding the employer's family members.
(9) PREDECESSOR means an employer that employs at least one individual covered in this chapter, and for which a controlling interest in such employer or a recognized division of such employer is acquired by a successor.
(10) RELEVANT INFORMATION AND TESTIMONY means only materials, documents, testimony or information necessary to determine whether a violation of this chapter has occurred.
(11) SMALL EMPLOYER means any employer that is not a medium or large employer.
(12) SUBPOENA means a subpoena or a subpoena duces tecum.
(13) SUCCESSOR means an employer that acquires a controlling interest in a predecessor or a controlling interest in a recognized division of a predecessor. (Ord. 31181)
The director shall implement, administer, and enforce the provisions of this chapter. The director has the power to render interpretations of this chapter and to adopt and enforce rules and regulations supplemental to this chapter as the director deems necessary to clarify the application of this chapter. Such interpretations, rules, and regulations must be in conformity with the purpose of this chapter. (Ord. 31181)