On Thursday, September 29, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 152 (“AB 152”) into law, which immediately extends COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave and offers grants for small businesses and non-profit organizations. COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Current law in California requires covered employers to provide COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (“SPSL”) through September 30, […]
On September 13, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2449 (AB 2449) into law, amending requirements of the Brown Act relating to teleconference participation of legislative body members during public meetings. AB 2449 will go into effect on January 1, 2023. The Brown Act previously required the posting of meeting agendas at all teleconference […]
On June 8, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an Order changing its definitions of “close contact” and “infectious period.” California employers should be aware of these changes because they directly affect the requirements under Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS). Before the most recent changes, “close contact” was defined as being […]
On February 9, 2022, the Legislature passed SB 114 providing for a new round of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave. The bill adds new section 248.6 to the California Labor Code. It was passed as an appropriations related to the Budget Bill and, therefore, takes effect immediately. Its provisions are retroactive to January 1, 2022 […]
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing; Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) On November 4, 2021, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) that applies to employers with 100 or more employees. Under this new Vaccination and Testing ETS, companies must ensure that their workers […]
On June 17, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (“Cal/OSHA”) voted to adopt revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”), that reflect the state’s latest COVID-19 Public Health Order. In an effort to accelerate the adoption process, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-09-21, allowing for Cal/OSHA’s ETS revisions to take effect immediately […]
On Friday, March 19, 2021, Governor Newson signed into law SB 95 (Skinner) enacting new COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave benefits for eligible employees. The new bill amends the paid sick leave benefits in the Healthy Workplace Healthy Families Act (HWHFA) by adding new Labor Code sections 248.2 and 248.3. The new law applies to […]
On December 16, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued its first direct guidance for employers regarding COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This guidance provides direction for employers considering vaccination programs in anticipation of more widespread availability of the COVID-19 vaccine. The new EEOC […]
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the need for codification of certain procedures and reporting obligations at skilled nursing facilities, the home to some of our most fragile population. As of September 29, 2020, AB 2644 was approved by the Governor amending California Health and Safety Code sections 1255.9 and 1275.41. With these amendments, during […]
As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) at the Department of Health and Human Services announced on March 17 it would not penalize violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules that occur in the good faith provision of telehealth. The […]