Margarita Garcia’s COVID-induced absence from her Subway sandwich maker job left her without wages for 11 days in 2021. With her family dependent on her income, she said, the absence of sick pay forced the San Jose resident to borrow from friends and family to cover rent and food.
Last winter, she filed a wage claim with the state labor commissioner, seeking $930 in unpaid sick pay, mandated by a COVID-era law. She also made a $5,487 claim for over a year of missed breaks.
