San Francisco tries to make life affordable in costly city

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — In approving a novel paid parental leave policy, San Francisco officials buttressed their efforts to make life a little more affordable for workers who eke out a living in one of the most expensive cities in the country.

"The vast majority of workers in this country have little or no access to paid parental leave, and that needs to change," Supervisor Scott Wiener, who pushed the measure, said at a news conference before the vote.

In 2007, San Francisco officials required businesses to set aside money to be used toward employee health care, long before the federal government approved the Affordable Care Act.

Some larger employers, such as Twitter and Netflix, already offer generous benefits for their workers but owners of small businesses say they don't have such deep pockets.

Attorney Jason Geller, managing partner of Fisher & Phillips San Francisco employment law office, said he expects retailers to pass on the costs to consumers who can and will pay higher prices in a bid to make the city more equitable.