[Source: Saramento Bee] California workers from an industry devastated by the coronavirus pandemic would have a chance to return to the jobs under a bill advanced by the state Assembly this week. Under the bill, employers in parts of the hospitality industry would have to offer any available jobs first to qualified employees who were Read More…
Tag: coronavirus
California’s new series of COVID-19 reporting requirements
[Source: CalChamber] During the 2020 California legislative session, COVID-19 forced lawmakers to pivot from their routine business to addressing the growing pandemic. In response, the Legislature enacted SB 1159 and AB 685 that created certain reporting requirements for employers when learning of a positive case. Following up, Cal/OSHA recently approved and implemented COVID-19 emergency regulations Read More…
California tax revenue billions higher than expected, thanks in part to federal help
[Source: Sacramento Bee] From July through September, California collected $8.7 billion more in tax revenue than anticipated, according to the state’s Department of Finance, a bright sign amid a year of devastating economic news. The numbers (http://www.dof.ca.gov/Forecasting/Economics/Economic_and_Revenue_Updates/documents/2020/Oct-20.pdf) reflect the positive effect of federal aid, which came in the form of one-time $1,200 checks for individuals Read More…
Emergency COVID-19 rules coming soon
[Source: CalChamber] In November the Cal/OSHA Standards Board is expected to vote on emergency COVID-19 regulations Petition 583 (https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/petition-583.html) that will not be made public until five days before the Board vote, Moutrie tells Frank. While the specifics of the regulations are not yet known, employers can expect them to be far reaching, affecting all Read More…
Calamities challenge California’s economic foundation
[Source: The New York Times] Businesses shuttered by the pandemic are slowly reopening, but technology complexes are quiet, their workers carrying on from home indefinitely. The smoke-filled skies had started to clear, but new fires have arrived in a fierce wildfire season that shows the intensifying effects of climate change. Now California and its $3 Read More…
COVID-19 and a new hire’s expired identity document
[Source: CalChamber] We just hired an employee who doesn’t have a current identity document. Her driver license expired on April 1, and she says that she hasn’t been able to renew it due to COVID-19. Can we hire her? Yes. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a temporary policy beginning on May 1, 2020, that Read More…
California minimum-wage jump to hit virus-battered companies
[Source: Associated Press] Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday the state would keep in place a planned jump in the state’s minimum wage to $14 an hour next year for larger businesses, saying it would help hard hit lower-income workers even as many companies struggle to survive amid the coronavirus crisis. The Democratic governor had the Read More…
California releases ‘Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening’
[Source: CalChamber] On July 24, 2020, when the reported number of COVID-19 cases in California surpassed 425,000, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new playbook — called the “Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening” — to guide employers on how to provide a safe and clean environment for workers and customers to reduce the risk of Read More…
Split roll initiative’s risks and negative side effects grow by the day
[Source: Orange County Register] In November, Californians will vote on whether to increase commercial property taxes. The California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act of 2020, more commonly known as the split-roll initiative because it treats commercial and residential properties differently, will be coming to the ballot at an inopportune time. It is unlikely to Read More…