California Governor Gavin Newsom recently completed final action on bills that were passed by the state legislature in 2021, and employers are once again faced with a raft of new compliance obligations thanks to several new...more
10/12/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
- The Ninth Circuit rules that portions of Assembly Bill 51 are not preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) and lifts a lower court’s injunction that barred the law from taking effect.
- The court did rule that...more
One silver lining for employers during the pandemic has been the reality that they shouldn’t fear any potential tort liability for COVID-19 cases stemming from the workplace – or should they? Most employers (and attorneys and...more
With the California gubernatorial recall election less than a week away, the campaign season is in high gear as Governor Newsom and his putative replacements crisscross the state in last minute appeals to voters. California...more
The end of the legislative session in California is always a time of high drama as last-minute deals come together and many unexpected legislative proposals sneak out. This year is shaping up to be no different as multiple...more
Following recent updated guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommending that all individuals wear face coverings indoors regardless of vaccination status, Cal/OSHA just released a statement...more
Less than a day after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new masking guidance for fully vaccinated individuals in substantial or high transmission areas, the California Department of Public Health...more
Given the recent uptick in positive cases in the local area, Los Angeles County is reinstating its mask mandate regardless of vaccination status effective Saturday, July 17 at 11:59 p.m. This latest development will impact...more
The Santa Clara County Health Officer just issued a new order phasing out the May 18 Order that had introduced a vaccine-tracking mandate for employers, relieving employers of the administrative burden imposed by the...more
After a whirlwind several weeks, California just finalized changes to Cal/OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that immediately took effect and will require workplaces across the state to adjust their pandemic-related...more
Employers monitoring proposed changes to Cal/OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) in recent weeks likely have whiplash from trying to keep up with the back-and-forth slew of developments. However, it appears we are close...more
6/15/2021
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Documentation ,
Employee Housing ,
Employment Policies ,
Exclusions ,
Exemptions ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
Notice Requirements ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
California employers will need to ensure that your employees are masked up and socially distanced – regardless of vaccination status – until at least June 28 following late-breaking activity last night by Cal/OSHA to pull...more
After a rollercoaster meeting Thursday where it originally voted down the proposed revisions, Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board eventually adopted proposed revisions to the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that will establish...more
6/7/2021
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Housing ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Exclusions ,
Exemptions ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Required Documentation ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Businesses in Santa Clara County must get ready to comply with the County’s new vaccine tracking mandate by no later than June 1. The County of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Center issued a May 18 Order of The Health...more
5/25/2021
/ Confidential Information ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Collection ,
Deadlines ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
In an unexpected turn of events, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board announced yesterday that it will not move to adopt the proposed revisions to the existing Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary...more
After months of calls for modification to Cal/OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), California is about to adopt significant changes to the standard in light of the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the...more
5/19/2021
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Housing ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Exclusions ,
Exemptions ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Most attention about whether the Biden administration would attempt to adopt a version of California’s notorious “ABC test” for determining whether individuals are properly classified as employees or independent contractors...more
Employers in California have been clamoring for changes to workplace health and safety COVID-19 standards as a result of the growing numbers of employees who are fully vaccinated. Recent updated guidance from the California...more
It’s been said that from crisis comes opportunity. And given that the COVID-19 pandemic has handed us the greatest collective crisis in our lifetimes, it should stand to reason that we should now be in the perfect position to...more
5/3/2021
/ Business Operations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Governance ,
Data Security ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
Gig Economy ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Labor Relations ,
Legal Operations ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Remote Working ,
Staffing Agencies ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Friday a statewide right of recall for employees in certain industries who were laid off due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. SB 93, which enacts Labor Code Section...more
The latest COVID-19 stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), contains a myriad of provisions to provide relief to individuals and employers – including some important changes to employer tax credits that have...more
The California Legislature just approved a measure that dramatically extends and expands a requirement for employers to provide supplemental paid sick leave to employees impacted by COVID-19. Among other things, this new...more
After several weeks of tense negotiations and legislative twists and turns, President Biden’s latest COVID-19 stimulus package – the American Rescue Plan – has been passed by Congress and will become law once the president...more
3/10/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
Pensions ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Small Business ,
Tax Credits ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Biden’s $1.9 trillion latest COVID-19 stimulus bill, containing a slew of employment-related initiatives that could have...more
3/1/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
Pensions ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Small Business ,
Tax Credits ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
President-elect Biden has unveiled an ambitious legislative package that would serve to not only provide a third wave of economic stimulus relief to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic but also transform the American...more
1/21/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employment Policies ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Leave ,
Relief Measures ,
Small Business ,
Tax Credits ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety