Heather Sager on Coronavirus/COVID-19

2023 California Labor, Employment, and Independent Contractor Legislative Update

With the 2023 California legislative year closed, it is once again time to summarize the new legislation that will affect businesses operating within the state and highlight relevant action items related to these bills. Below...more

California COVID-19 Employment Regulations Extended Through 2023

In 2022, California again passed assembly bills related to COVID-19. The recent legislation extended some employer obligations while easing others. Touching upon many topics, these bills address supplemental paid sick leave,...more

11/23/2022 / California , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Employees , Employer Liability Issues , Grants , Notification Requirements , Paid Sick Leave , Popular , Relief Measures , Small Business , Virus Testing , Workers’ Compensation

2022 California Labor, Employment, and Independent Contractor Legislative Update

With the 2022 California legislative year closed, it is once again time to examine the new legislation that will affect entities operating within the state. Summaries of key legislation are below, with relevant action items...more

San Francisco’s New Public Health Emergency Law Creates Mandatory Paid Leave

Beginning October 1, 2022, when a public health emergency is in place, businesses with 100 or more employees worldwide must provide up to 80 hours of paid Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) each calendar year to each...more

10/3/2022 / California , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Corporate Counsel , Covered Employees , Covered Employer , Employer Liability Issues , Infectious Diseases , Paid Leave , Paid Sick Leave , Public Health Emergency , Regulatory Mandates , San Francisco , State and Local Government

Employers Are Offering Different Types of Shots at This Year’s Holiday Parties

Employer vaccination policies are probably the hottest workplace topic in this final quarter of the calendar year. Some employers are even planning to offer COVID-19 vaccination shots at holiday parties to make it easier for...more

11/17/2021 / Compliance , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Employees , Employer Liability Issues , Employer Mandates , Holiday Parties , Holidays , Incentives , OSHA , Vaccinations

Frequently Asked Questions on OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its long-awaited emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring all employers with a total of 100 or more employees to mandate...more

11/8/2021 / Biden Administration , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Employer Liability Issues , Employer Mandates , Federal Contractors , Infectious Diseases , Masks , OSHA , Reasonable Accommodation , Religious Exemption , Remote Working , Vaccinations , Virus Testing , Workplace Safety

2021 California Labor, Employment, and Independent Contractor Legislative Update

With the 2021 California legislative year closed, it is now time to examine the new legislation that will affect California companies. We have summarized the key new legislation below, with relevant action items noted....more

COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered - Update

With the surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, many employers are considering whether to require employees to be vaccinated, how to encourage employee vaccinations, and the implications of vaccine policies for...more

9/1/2021 / Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) , Employees , Employer Liability Issues , Employer Mandates , Employment Policies , Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) , Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , Incentives , Masks , Paid Leave , Reasonable Accommodation , Social Distancing , Vaccinations , Wage and Hour

The Ninth Circuit Clarifies When California Law Applies to Employees With Remote Workplaces

Two recent decisions clarified the circumstances under which California law applies to remote workers. In Bernstein v. Virgin America, Inc., ___ F.3d ___, 2021 WL 686281 (9th Cir. 2021), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the...more

3/22/2021 / Airline Employees , Appeals , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Corporate Counsel , Employees , Employer Liability Issues , Penalties , Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) , Remote Working , State and Local Government , Wage and Hour

Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered

With multiple states rolling out phased access to COVID-19 vaccines, many employers are considering whether they want to require employees to be vaccinated, how to encourage employee vaccinations, and the implications of...more

2/2/2021 / Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Employees , Employer Liability Issues , Employment Policies , Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) , Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) , Infectious Diseases , OSHA , Reasonable Accommodation , Reimbursements , Religious Accommodation , Reporting Requirements , Secretary of HHS , Vaccinations , Workplace Safety

This Holiday Season, Don’t Open Pandora’s Box!

For retailers, the holiday season is indeed the “most wonderful time of the year.” But with additional stock and sales to handle, retailers also typically need to increase staffing and hours for employees, which can create...more

10/28/2020 / Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Employees , Employer Liability Issues , Managers , Retail Market , Retailers , Social Distancing , Work Schedules

2020 California Labor & Employment Legislative Roundup

California’s legislative session closed with the state Assembly and Senate signing nearly 40 bills related to employment. Below we summarize the key legislation Governor Gavin Newsom ultimately signed into law, including...more

10/9/2020 / Arbitrators , California Family Rights Act (CFRA) , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Executive Orders , Governor Newsom , Independent Contractors , Leave of Absence , Reporting Requirements , State and Local Government , State Legislatures

Congress Passes the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

In a 90-8 vote, the U.S. Senate passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The act expands unemployment benefits, mandates job protected paid and unpaid leave for reasons related to coronavirus, and requires certain...more

5/1/2020 / Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) , Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) , New Legislation , Relief Measures , Tax Credits , Unemployment Insurance

Essential Businesses in Several States Now Must Provide Face Masks to Employees

On April 3, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an updated recommendation that all workers and members of the general public should consider using non-medical face masks or face coverings to...more

4/23/2020 / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Employer Liability Issues , Employer Responsibilities , Masks , Operators of Essential Services , Workplace Safety

H.R. 6201 Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Paid Leave, Emergency Leave, and Implications for the Workplace

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives shortly before 1:00 a.m. on March 14, 2020. H.R. 6201 amends several existing federal laws and creates new law to address the...more

3/18/2020 / Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) , Paid Leave , Pending Legislation , Wage and Hour

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act—What Could It Mean for Employers?