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Cal/OSHA, the state agency that oversees workplace safety and health, has increasingly enforced and levied fines with respect to COVID-19 issues in the workplace. By April 2021, those fines amounted to roughly $4.6 million for approximately 200 workplaces. You don’t want to be caught unprepared should a Cal/OSHA representative make a surprise visit to your business. See if you pass the test - can you successfully check off these five tips below? 

We realize it’s only July but we wanted to give you a sneak peek on all of the fun coming your way next month. Our valued members are the reason that the California Employers Association was formed back in 1940! As a “thank you” for your ongoing support over the past 80 plus years, we dedicate every August to YOU! We’ve set aside an entire month to show you our appreciation with free webinars, great prizes and more!

It’s that time again. Many California businesses are now seeing minimum wage increases twice each year. Employers should take note that many local jurisdictions in the state require minimum wage rates that are higher than the statewide minimum wage.

The Dog Days of Summer are upon us and with them comes another concern for California’s employers: Heat Illness Prevention. California was the first state in the nation to put protections in place when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger enacted heat-illness prevention laws in 2005 and since then other states have followed suit.

The Cal/OSHA Standards Board adopted new changes to the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”), which go into effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State and significantly impact California workplaces.

With all of the bills the California Legislature passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, plus numerous agency regulations and guidance, it’s difficult to stay up to date on employment laws. Join us at our Mid Year Labor Law Update for a complete rundown. Here’s a taste of what you need to know about: 

There has been a lot of confusion among employers regarding what is happening on June 15, California’s “re-opening” date. Here’s what we know now. California will be moving away from the colored tier systems regulating business activities, but will remain in a State of Emergency. 

Employers with CEA Ultimate and Premier Memberships often hear our HR Directors refer to “bank hours.” Each anniversary year, your company receives a fresh bank of hours, and any unused hours expire. Use your available hours on valuable CEA services to lighten your load and use those prepaid consultation hours. 

Onboarding isn’t just another fancy word for new hire orientations, onboarding programs will take your training and orientation program to the next level! Unlike a traditional new hire orientation program, which just involved signing paperwork and reading the employee handbook, onboarding is a systematic process that extends well beyond the first day of employment.

Health Insurance is a world filled with words and acronyms that can seem almost foreign to employers and employees alike. Things like PPO, HMO, HSA, HDHP, etc. can be enough to make your head spin. Without a solid understanding of the terms it is nearly impossible to understand how your benefits truly work. When an employee understands how their benefits work, and all the terms associated with their coverage, there are no surprises after enrollment. 

This week, we focus untangling some of the confusing and contradictory requirements recently announced in the HR world. Never fear! Your CEA team is on the case and tracking these issues. Continue reading for an update on several recent and contradictory employment policies. Be sure to follow our blog and sign up for our newsletter as there will be more to the story on each of these issues.  

At home and at work safety supplies and toilet paper suddenly became incredibly important in 2020. Even before the pandemic OEM Supply King has been on a mission to keep families, employees, customers, and the community at large safe and clean. Since the onset of the pandemic they’ve undergone explosive growth as one of the few trusted suppliers of essential PPE materials and sanitizing products. 

As California counties move into less restrictive tiers and vaccinations become more widely available, more businesses are resuming their onsite operations. A common scenario for onsite employers is that an employer will find out an employee is asymptomatic after they have already reported to work. If the employer sends the employee home, are they owed reporting time pay? 

While employers are gearing up for summer staffing that includes minors and interns; times aren’t as easy for kids looking for a summer job. Employers now face strict State and Federal laws pertaining to hiring minors and interns. Many laws limit both the industries and also the wage and hour considerations for these two groups.

The quote "Hire Slow & Fire Fast" has a whole new meaning. If you employ individuals in the hotel, private clubs, event centers, airport hospitality, airport service, or building services (janitorial, building maintenance, or security services), you must consider any of your laid-off employees—as a priority for rehire—effective immediately. 

A recent Supreme Court ruling has recently placed the burden of ensuring the proper recording of meal breaks on employer's shoulders. Now is the time for employers to conduct a payroll audit to ensure they are in compliance.

Whenever an employee's past performance issues go undocumented, there is concern that the company may appear retaliatory if they terminate someone immediately after they request a protected leave. How should this situation be handled? 

Just three years after the #MeToo Movement, Governor Cuomo is under fire as multiple accusers have come forward with complaints of sexual harassment. Cuomo has denied all allegations and apologized for making "people feel uncomfortable." This begs the question: after the #MeToo Movement, is workplace harassment the "exception" or "status quo?" And, as HR professionals, how should we respond?

Employers should proceed with caution when using "per diem" or flat reimbursement rates—whether it's for travel expenses, cellphone and internet data usage, or remote worker stipends. If the reimbursements tend to increase or decrease based on time worked, the payments are likely functioning as pay compensation rather than as a reimbursement. If that is the case, the payment should be factored into the regular rate of pay to avoid overtime miscalculations.

On March 19, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 95, which creates a new Labor Code Section 248.2 and Labor Code Section 248.3. These new Labor Code sections provide covered employees and in-home supportive service providers with up to 80 new hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave. As explained below, the bill is far more expansive than the California COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave statute that expired on December 31, 2020.

As the COVID-19 hospitalizations decline and vaccinations increase, more employers are requiring employees to return to the office. A frequent question on our HR Advisor Hotline is whether an employer can fire an employee if they refuse to come back to work?   

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are not new concepts. However, as more vaccines are available and the threat of COVID-19 begins to shift, it's important for businesses to not simply have a plan, but fully embrace those concepts. Your employees have gained new and varied perspectives while living through and preparing to emerge from the pandemic.

2021 continues to remain as challenging and uncertain as 2020. The majority of new workforce trends in 2021 revolve around adapting to employee needs. From managing a remote or hybrid workforce (onsite and remote) to supporting your employee's wellbeing, it's comforting to know that other leaders are struggling with these same issues.

Does your business have 5 or more employees? Do you employ at least one minor? If the answer to both of these questions is yes then, as of January 1, 2021, it’s now your responsibility to provide training to all employees who are considered "mandated reporters" under AB 1963.

Please join us on February 24 for the next installment of Higher Standard: HR's Courageous Role in Influencing Change. This free event offers three (3) Business Recertification Credits towards any of HRCI's eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.

In response to President Biden's Executive Order, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") issued updated guidance on January 29, 2021, regarding how most employers should address COVID-19 in the workplace.

Everything is great with an office romance, until it isn't. With Valentine's Day around the corner, it's a good time for employers to review workplace dating policies. Many business owners have learned the hard way that office relationships can negatively impact the workplace in a number of ways, including favoritism concerns, conflicts of interest, and even sexual harassment and retaliation complaints.

Every year from February 1st thru April 30th, most employers* are required to post Cal/OSHA Form 300A in a conspicuous place where you normally post employee posters.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer is no longer being supported, and will be phased out completely by August 2021, according to an announcement by Microsoft.  We suggest using one of these free browser downloads to replace Internet Explorer.

In a rare moment for labor and employment, 225 Google employees, including engineers, sales associates, and administrative assistants, have announced that they have formed the Alphabet Workers Union. The Alphabet Workers Union will be affiliated with the larger Communication Workers of America.