Blog
WHAT’S NEW 2021 GETTING UNDER THE HOOD NEW TOOLKIT FOR WORKPLACE LEAVE COMPLIANCE
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has published an important toolkit for employer compliance with the 2021 expanded California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and the Pregnancy Disability Leave law (PDL). See, California’s Expanded Family and Medical Leave Significantly Impacts Small Business. (November 12, 2020)
WHAT’S NEW IN 2021 INFECTION PREVENTION DIRECTION CAL/OSHA COVID-19 EMERGENCY TEMPORARY STANDARDS
Effective November 30, 2020, Cal/OSHA issued emergency temporary standards or “ETS” to prevent the workplace spread of COVID- 19. The ETS contains a slate of mandatory measures applicable to all California employers with exceptions for ● employees working at home; ● one-employee worksites where there is no contact with others; and ● certain health care employers otherwise covered by Cal/OSHA’s Aerosol Transmissible Diseases guidelines.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2021 PAID PANDEMIC LEAVE IN THE NEW YEAR
Some Benefits Optional, Some Mandatory Nationwide Voluntary COVID-Related Paid Sick Leave: Until its December 31, 2020 expiration, the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) required COVID-19-related emergency paid sick leave and emergency paid family leave for nearly all employers with fewer than 500 on payroll. The FFCRA’s tax rules also created a 100% wash […]
THE FRONTIERS OF FAST FOOD
The International Franchise Association, along with the Dunkin’ Donuts, Supercuts, and Asian-American Hotel Owners franchisee associations, have sued California in San Diego’s federal court to prevent the state from classifying franchisees as employees.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2021 CALIFORNIA MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES
From 2016’s Senate Bill (SB) 3, California minimum wage will increase on January 1, 2021 to $13.00 per hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees and $14.00 for employers with 26 or more. SB 3’s final statewide increase to $15.00 per hour will be in 2022 for larger employers and in 2023 for those…
WHAT’S NEW IN 2021 REIMBURSING EMPLOYEE PERSONAL VEHICLE USE
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced its 2021 optional standard mileage reimbursement rate for employee business use of a personal vehicle, effective January 1, 2021, down from 57.5 cents to 56 cents/mile.
FREEING THE ASYMPTOMATICS
California’s Shifting Sands Shortening of Quarantine Compliance Periods Continually changing COVID-19 quarantine and isolation standards – commonly at variance between federal, state, and local governments — have joined death and taxes as the only certain things in life. The latest Cal/OSHA emergency temporary standards (ETS) (November 30, 2020) specified a 14-day symptom-free employee quarantine after […]
WORKER COVID VACCINATIONS
E.E.O.C.’s Expanded Guidelines for Pandemic Management The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has again expanded its pandemic guidelines to address the effect of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other workplace anti-discrimination laws on the national COVID vaccination campaign that now lies ahead. A major “tension” point is between an employee’s right to […]
DANCING WITH CORONA
New Wave of California and Local Stay-at-Home Orders Our collective unwanted pandemic “house guest” continues to spur government’s unprecedented measures toward the virus’s permanent eviction. Beginning November 21 and to December 21, the California Department of Public Health imposed a statewide 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew with certain exceptions for essential services, medical emergencies, […]
CAUTIONARY TALE EPISODE 39 FISH STORY GETS REAL
Cal/OSHA Fines Frozen Food Firm for COVID-19 Violations On September 9, 2020, Cal/OSHA announced citations and $400,000 in proposed penalties to Overhill Farms Inc. and its temporary employment agency Jobsource North America Inc. for repeatedly failing to protect hundreds of workers from COVID-19 exposure in Vernon frozen food plants. The agency alleges that on April 28, it found […]