ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An Albuquerque business owner has put a donation bucket on his counter to help pay for the county’s new sick leave ordinance.

One problem: the new county law doesn’t apply to Albuquerque businesses. After KRQE News 13 told the owner the law doesn’t apply to him, he said the donation bucket can help for his workers’ sick days if the city ends up passing a similar law.

“Many people don’t understand having this additional expense is going to have to come from somewhere,” says Joe Rodriguez, Owner of California Pastrami.

Owner of California Pastrami, Joe Rodriguez put it out on Saturday in response to Bernalillo County passing the Employee Wellness Act, in other words, paid sick days.

“It’s a good thing for employees, but somebody is going to have to come up with a way to pay for these things,” Rodriguez says.

While that’s true, Rodriguez won’t have to pay for it. After this interview, KRQE News 13 noticed on Google maps that while his shop is close to the city-county line, he’s very much still in Albuquerque.

After KRQE News 13 notified Rodriguez of that, he said the bucket can collect donations in case the city passes its own sick leave law, something city councilors are looking into.

City councilors Isaac Benton and Pat Davis have asked city council staff to study adopting the county ordinance in the City of Albuquerque.

City voters narrowly rejected a proposed sick leave law two years ago. The county’s ordinance goes into effect July of next year.