Effective January 1, 2021, California employers must report to their workforces instances in which employees may have been exposed to COVID-19 and to local public health departments any “outbreak” of three or more employees having COVID-19. The requirements are extensive and the potential liability for violations is great. Employers should begin to prepare early to
Newly signed legislation makes it easier and faster for employees to obtain workers compensation benefits for contracting COVID-19. The statutes, which went into effect on Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of SB 1159 on September 17, 2020, impose important new obligations on employers.
The legislation provides that a “disputable presumption” will arise in certain circumstances that
Small employers in California – those with only five employees or more – will be obligated to provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of family care and medical leave each 12 months under a bill Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law this week. Also for the first time, employers will be required to grant
As fires rage across the Western United States, I find myself spending more time monitoring air quality. In the good old days, that used to mean looking outside to see if the sky was clear or hazy. Now it involves checking websites or home monitors to determine the Air Quality Index for particulate matter with
With so much going on for employers in 2020, let us not forget the #MeToo movement and related changes in California’s laws requiring sexual harassment prevention training. All employers with more than five employees anywhere must train all California employees (managers/supervisors and staff) on sexual harassment prevention training before year end.
A while back, I
THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH THE GOVERNOR’S ACTION ON EACH BILL DISCUSSED.
Anticipation mounts as we watch for California Governor Gavin Newsom’s action on bills of immediate importance to employers. The Governor has until September 30, 2020 to sign or veto the following bills of concern:
SB 1383 – Historic Extensions of California
Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB1867 into law, which provides supplemental paid sick leave benefits for California workers. The new law, which adds section 248.1 to the Labor Code, provides coverage for employees who did not receive paid sick leave benefits under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The effective date will be
In meaningful numbers, employers across the U.S. who are rebuilding their workforces are being sued by employees not recalled from COVID furloughs and applicants not hired. Last week, I posted an Alert describing the risks to employers nationally of such litigation and giving recommendations on hiring up defensively. California employers, in particular, may be at
On Monday night, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 2257 (AB2257), a clean-up bill to Assembly Bill 5 (AB5). Under AB 2257, musicians, fine artists, freelance writers, photographers, and translators would be among those getting exemptions from AB5 to continue working as independent contractors, rather than as employees. The bill is expected to be signed
Several weeks have gone by since Governor Newsom paused California’s reopening plan due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, leaving California businesses with little guidance as to when they could resume reopening. On August 28, 2020, the state finally released The Blueprint for a Safer Economy. This new blueprint for reopening is a four-tier,