Many employers are eager to return to the office and “get things back to normal.” If you are an employer who is considering requiring or allowing employees to return to an in-person workplace (or if you have already done so), the first thing to understand is that there is no “back to normal,” at least… Read More
California Superior Court Judge Declares Prop 22 Unconstitutional
In a stunning ruling late on Friday evening, California Superior Court Judge Frank Groesch ruled that Prop 22 – the most expensive ballot proposition in California history, which last year passed with 59% of the vote and allowed Uber and Lyft to classify their drivers as “independent contractors” rather than employees – was unconstitutional. According… Read More
Meal and Rest Period Violations Just Got More Expensive for Employers
Under existing California law, if an employee who is eligible for a meal period is denied that meal period or gets interrupted during that meal period, then that employee is entitled to one hour of premium pay at the employee’s then-existing “regular rate of pay.” The same is true for rest periods. If an employee… Read More
Employers with 50+ Employees: It’s Time to Register with CalSavers
As of July 2019, more than half of Californians aged 25-64 had no retirement savings. In an effort to make saving for retirement more accessible, and therefore encourage more people to save, the State of California enacted legislation that requires employers with 5 or more California-based employees (including at least one who is age 18… Read More
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: Cal/OSHA and COVID
June has been a turbulent month for Cal/OSHA – and for California employers doing their best to protect the health and safety of their employees as California begins to open up. Back and Forth After implementing detailed and complicated amended Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) on June 3, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board held an emergency meeting… Read More
San Francisco Hazard Pay Ordinance Expires Today
San Francisco’s emergency COVID-Related Hazard Pay Ordinance (the “Ordinance”), which became effective on March 22, 2021, required certain large San Francisco employers (primarily grocery stores and drug stores with 500 or more employees worldwide) to pay employees an additional $5.00 per hour in hazard pay on top of their regular hourly wage, up to a… Read More
To (Require) Vaccines or Not To (Require) Vaccines: That Is the Question
California is preparing to reopen, and employers are readying to welcome their workforce back to offices. One of the biggest questions on the minds of many business owners is how to bring their workforce back together in “real time” while still maintaining the safety of all employees, as they are fundamentally obligated under Cal-OSHA to… Read More
Supplemental Paid Sick Leave is Back in California – What Employers Need to Know
In September 2020, Governor Newsom signed AB 1867 into law, which created Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) rights for millions of California employees who were not eligible for such leave under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). We blogged about AB 1867 here. Since AB 1867 expired on December 31, 2020, as did… Read More
Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades – Not Meal Periods
In the most significant meal periods decision in almost ten years, the California Supreme Court on February 25, 2021 decided Donohue v. AMN Services, LLC. While the Court in Donohue made clear that as long as meal periods are provided, employers do not have to “police” employees and force them to take meal periods, the… Read More
How the New “American Rescue Plan Act” Impacts Employers and Employees
Now that President Biden has signed the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) into law, we’ve had the chance to review the massive legislation. And we’ve discovered some little-known provisions in the law that directly impact employers and employees. Here’s a quick summary of those provisions: Incentives for Employers to Offer Paid Sick Leave As we… Read More
