(This is an update to an article previously sent to our clients with new information) As you’ve likely heard, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved the revised Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) on June 17, 2021. Whew! Well not a total WHEW. There’s still work to be...
By Jennifer Lippi, JD, SPHR, PHRca As COVID-19 vaccines become more readily available, many employers are asking if they should require employees to get vaccinated. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has said that if the employer can show that,...
By Laurie Nooren, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-CP Senate Bill 973 was signed by the Governor on September 30, 2020. The intention of this new reporting requirement is to assist the DFEH in identifying wage patterns and enforcing equal pay and anti-discrimination laws. The...
By Stacey Sommerhauser, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-SCP If you employ minor workers (anyone under the age of 18), pay close attention. You have new requirements under the California Penal Code! For many years, certain professions (e.g., teachers, police officers, social...
Senate Bill 3 (“SB 3”) passed in 2016 detailed an increase of the state’s minimum wage over future years, providing smaller employers one additional year to reach the level of larger employers’ minimum wage rates. On January 1, 2021, the state minimum wage will...
Senate Bill 1383 (“SB 1383”), signed by the Governor on September 17, 2020, expands the CFRA to all employers with five or more employees. SB 1383 makes it an unlawful employment practice for any employer, with five or more employees, among other things, to deny or...
Assembly Bill 685 (“AB 685”), signed by the Governor on September 17, 2020, and effective on January 1, 2021, amends several provisions of California’s Health and Safety and Labor Codes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including exhaustive notice requirements in...
By: Robin E. Largent Partner, Carothers DiSante Freudenberger LLP Although the pandemic has caused the shutdown of many businesses and has significantly curtailed life as we know it, it has not stopped the California legislature. The legislature is considering a...
Kim Silvers, SPHR, PHRca If you have employees in Sacramento, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, or San Mateo County, you’ll want to be familiar with the additional COVID-19 related ordinances these city/county governments have gifted their employers with this month. Since...
by Kim Silvers, SPHR, PHRca How many ways can we say “unprecedented” without repeating this dreadfully overused term? We’ve sent out weekly COVID-19 updates since the first week in March. I’m over it. How about you? Oh, but wait – the waves of the “Return from...
By Jennifer Duggan and Susanna Matingou In this uncertain era of COVID-19, at least one thing is sure: teleworking is not going anywhere. Our collective initial foray into mass teleworking was abrupt, mandatory, and perhaps best described as trial by fire. However,...
By Laurie Nooren, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-CP The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) states that eligible employees* are allowed time off from work to care for a child with a “serious health condition,” which includes both physical and psychological care as well as making...
By Stacey Sommerhauser, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-SCP The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) gave the W-4 a makeover for 2020. This is the first major redesign of the form since 1987. The 2020 W-4 will look very different from previous versions to you and your employees, as the...
By Jennifer L. Lippi, SPHR, PHRca On October 9, 2019, the California Court of Appeal in Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC, issued a decision clarifying the rate of pay at which an employer must pay meal and rest period premiums. As you likely know, if an employee...
By Stacey Sommerhauser, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-SCP If you’ve lived in California for any length of time you know we are about to start California’s wildfire season. The fire season in California has been starting earlier and ending later each year. As I write this article...
By Shaw Law Group “Reprinted with permission from the Daily Recorder, a Daily Journal Corp. publication” Some California employers offer, or may be considering, “unlimited” paid time off plans (“unlimited PTO”) in lieu of traditional accrued vacation or PTO. The...
Governor Newsom signed SB 83 this summer, extending the maximum period of paid family leave insurance (PFLI) wage replacement benefits from six to eight weeks beginning on July 1, 2020. Although this is not currently an employer funded program (deductions are made...
By Laurie Nooren, PHR, PHRca, SHRM-CP In early July, Governor Newsom signed into law a bill (SB188), making it clear that California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and Education Code protect individuals with race traits, such as hair texture and hair...
This Month’s Top Three Questions We receive hundreds of employer inquiries every month about a variety of employment related topics. Here are the big hits we’re hearing a lot about these days and a bit of our findings… It’s so much easier and cheaper to have an...
By Katie McConnell Olson, CPA, PHR Have you ever sat in complete silence with a stranger for ten whole minutes? It feels like a really long time. Sometimes two minutes of silence with a stranger can feel like a lifetime! The good news is that there is real power in...