On June 17, 2021, at the end of yet another chaotic day in administrative rulemaking, California’s new COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) finally became effective. The ETS bring substantial changes to the COVID-19...more
6/18/2021
/ Administrative Review Board ,
Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Rule ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Newsom ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Notice Requirements ,
Reasonable Prevention Procedures ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On June 11, 2021, the Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) published proposed revisions to the current Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary...more
On June 9, 2021, the Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) voted to withdraw the previously submitted Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) changes and...more
On June 3, 2021, the Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) was initially unable to pass the proposed changes to the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary...more
On May 28, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated the vaccination section (section K) of its “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.” The...more
6/1/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Confidential Information ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
GINA ,
Guidance Update ,
Incentives ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Vaccinations
On May 20, 2021, the Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) decided to table the expected vote on Cal/OSHA’s revisions to its COVID-19 Emergency...more
On May 18, 2021, Santa Clara County, California, issued a health order that both relieves employers of some earlier COVID-19–related requirements and imposes new obligations on employers, particularly with respect to...more
On May 19, 2021, on the eve of a vote by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to adopt proposed substantial changes to the existing Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS), Deputy Chief of the...more
On November 30, 2020, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, more commonly known as Cal/OSHA, adopted COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) for California. Among other topics, the ETS...more
On April 16, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 93 into law. This new statute creates California Labor Code Section 2810.8 and requires that employers in certain industries make written job offers...more
4/20/2021
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employees ,
Covered Employer ,
DLSE ,
Employee Retention ,
Entertainment Venues ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Janitorial Services ,
Job Offers ,
Layoffs ,
New Legislation ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Rehiring Issues ,
State Labor Laws
On March 16, 2021, the City Council of Costa Mesa, California, passed an urgency ordinance establishing premium pay for retail grocery and pharmacy workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Costa Mesa is a large city in Orange...more
3/23/2021
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Essential Workers ,
Grocery Store Workers ,
Grocery Stores ,
Hazard Pay ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Pharmacies ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Wage and Hour
Within days, California employers may have to provide employees with even more COVID-19–related paid leave. On March 18, 2021, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 95, which creates new Labor Code Section 248.2 and...more
3/22/2021
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employees ,
Covered Employer ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
First Responders ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Beginning March 29, 2021, California employers with more than 25 employees nationally will have to pay their California employees with up to 80 hours of COVID-19–related paid leave. On March 19, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom...more
On March 4, 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) updated its “DFEH Employment Information on COVID-19” to include answers to some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) about vaccinations. ...more
3/18/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DFEH ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
FEHA ,
Interactive Process ,
New Guidance ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Discrimination ,
Vaccinations
On March 15, 2021, the City Council of West Hollywood added new categories of workers to its existing hero pay mandate of $5.00 per hour worked for large-chain grocery store employees. The new ordinance goes into effect on...more
The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) recently updated its “Guide to COVID-19 Related Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]” to include wage and hour issues and vaccinations. If an employer requires employees to...more
On March 1, 2021, the City Council of San Mateo, California, adopted “An Emergency Ordinance Requiring Large Grocery Stores and Large Drugstores to Provide Hazard Pay to their Employees” to ease the burdens caused by the...more
3/17/2021
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Essential Workers ,
Grocery Store Workers ,
Grocery Stores ,
Hazard Pay ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Pharmacies ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Wage and Hour
On March 1, 2021, the City Council of Pomona, California, passed an ordinance that establishes premium pay for retail food workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pomona is an incorporated city located in Los Angeles County and...more
3/12/2021
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Essential Workers ,
Grocery Store Workers ,
Grocery Stores ,
Hazard Pay ,
Local Ordinance ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Retail Workers ,
Retailers ,
Wage and Hour
On March 2, 2021, the City Council of Santa Ana, California, passed an urgency ordinance establishing premium pay for grocery and retail pharmacy workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange...more
3/12/2021
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Essential Workers ,
Grocery Store Workers ,
Grocery Stores ,
Hazard Pay ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Pharmacies ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Wage and Hour
On February 25, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied a motion for preliminary injunction brought by the California Grocers Association (CGA) against the City of Long Beach. In California...more
3/8/2021
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Contract Terms ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Equal Protection ,
Grocery Store Workers ,
Grocery Stores ,
Hazard Pay ,
Local Ordinance ,
NLRA ,
Preemption ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
State Constitutions ,
Strict Scrutiny Standard ,
Trade Associations ,
Wage and Hour
On February 16, 2021, the City Council of San Leandro, California, passed an ordinance titled “Retail Food Worker Hazard Pay Ordinance,” which establishes premium pay for retail food workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. San...more
2/25/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employees ,
Covered Employer ,
Essential Workers ,
Grocery Store Workers ,
Grocery Stores ,
Hazard Pay ,
Local Ordinance ,
Notice Requirements ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Pharmacies ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Wage and Hour
On February 23, 2021, the City Council of Irvine, California, passed a hero pay ordinance entitling retail grocery store and drug store workers premium pay for hours worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Irvine is located in...more
2/25/2021
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employees ,
Covered Employer ,
Essential Workers ,
Grocery Store Workers ,
Grocery Stores ,
Hazard Pay ,
Local Ordinance ,
Notice Requirements ,
Pharmacies ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Wage and Hour
On February 16, 2021, the City Council of West Hollywood, California, passed an urgency ordinance establishing premium pay for grocery workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. West Hollywood is located in central Los Angeles...more
On January 27, 2021, the City Council of Montebello, California, passed an ordinance titled “Premium Pay for Grocery and Drug Store Workers Ordinance.” Montebello is an incorporated city located in Los Angeles County,...more
On February 10, 2021, the City Council of Coachella, California, passed the “Premium Pay for Agricultural, Grocery, Restaurant, and Retail Pharmacy Workers Ordinance.” Coachella is located in Riverside County, California....more