On September 20, 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 2605. This new law provides that unionized employees at petroleum facilities who hold safety-sensitive positions are exempt from the requirement that employees be relieved of all duties during rest periods. The bill went into effect immediately and will remain in effect until
Disability and Leave
California Expands Upon Lactation Accommodation Requirements
California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 1976, expanding California employer obligations respective to employee lactation accommodation. Under preexisting California Labor Code section 1031, an employer was required to make available a private location, other than a toilet stall, for an employee to express milk for an infant child, and provide employees…
Expanded Paid Family Leave Benefits Coming to California Employees
Under the Family Medical Leave Act, eligible employees are entitled to take time off for due to a “qualifying exigency” arising from the deployment of the employee’s spouse, parent, or child for active military duty to a foreign country. Examples of “qualifying exigencies” include attendance at military events, making childcare arrangements arising from a military…
Pending California Legislation Alert! Senate Bill 937 Seeks to Require California Employers to Provide Lactation Facilities in the Workplace
If passed, California Senate Bill 937: Lactation Accommodation, will require employers to provide a lactation room, or location, in close proximity to the employee’s work space, and it must include prescribed features such as access to a sink and refrigerator. SB 937 also would deem denial of reasonable break time or adequate space to express…
Sick Leave Entitlements on the Rise in CA? A Pending CA Bill Is Looking to Do Just That.
Just three years after the enactment of California’s paid sick leave law under the Healthy Workplace Healthy Family Act of 2014 (AB 1522), a new bill has been introduced seeking to increase the amount of sick leave employers must provide employees under California law. The bill, AB 2841, was introduced on February 16, 2018…
Southern District Court of California Affirms that Employees Are Not Entitled to Multi-Month, Indefinite Medical Leaves of Absences
California employers can breathe a sigh of relief in light of a recent decision from the Southern District Court of California. In Ruiz v. ParadigmWorks Group, Inc., the Court held that an employer is not required to extend an employee’s “multi-month” medical leave of absence where the employee is totally disabled and cannot provide…
Pending California Legislation Alert! Recently Introduced Bill Seeks to Protect Medicinal Marijuana Users from Employment Discrimination in California
Although both medicinal and now recreational consumption of marijuana have been legalized in California, this legalization did not impact an employer’s right to discipline or even terminate employees for marijuana use. That could change for medical marijuana users if a bill pending before the California legislature becomes law. To read the rest of this article,…
New California Disability and Leave Laws – Are You Ready for 2018?
With the turn of the year comes a wave of new California disability and leave laws. Employers should review their existing policies and procedures to determine if they will be in compliance with these new laws—many of which will go into effect on January 1: To read more please visit this article at our Disability…
Governor Approves Expanding Parental Leave to Small Employers
On October 12, 2017, Governor Brown approved a new law that will expand parental leave benefits to employers with 20 or more employees. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2018.
Currently, employers with 50 or more employees are required to grant up to 12-weeks of unpaid leave to eligible employees who request…
Governor Brown Has Another Opportunity to Expand Parental Leave to Small Businesses in California
The New Parent Leave Act has made it to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk awaiting his signature or veto. Learn more about the bill and the effect it would have on employers if signed at our Disability, Leave & Health Management Blog.