Previously, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) had redefined “close contact’ as someone sharing the same indoor airspace with a person who had COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. This definition had caused issues for employers in particular who needed to comply with notice requirements. These
COVID-19
COVID-19 Employee Notice Requirements Revamped and Extended Until 2024
By Sean Paisan & Sierra Vierra on
Posted in Workplace Safety
On September 29, 2022, California’s Governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2693, which amends and extends COVID-19 workplace notice requirements until January 1, 2024.
Under existing law adopted under AB 685, if an employer receives notice of potential exposure to COVID-19, the employer must provide written notice of the potential exposure within one business…
Look Who’s Back? California COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Extended Until Year End with Potential Grants
Posted in Paid Sick Leave
California has extended COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) through December 31, 2022. On September 29, 2022, California’s Governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 152 which amends the existing SPSL law and provides for state grants to certain employers.
Changes to Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
The previous version of SPSL was passed in February 2022…
Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Regulations Will Likely Continue in 2023
By Sean Paisan on
Posted in CalOSHA
The current Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) expires at the end of 2022. But Cal/OSHA is not done with COVID-19 regulations. There is a Non-Emergency Regulation in process. The Standards Board recently published its proposed non-emergency regulation and announced a public hearing for September 15, 2022.
Though the proposal is a non-emergency regulation,…
No Universal Masking Mandate in Los Angeles or Across California
By Susan E. Groff & Sean Paisan on
Posted in California
In March 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) dropped universal indoor masking, though masking was still required in certain places. By April 2022, most counties had also ceased universal indoor masking requirements. However, recently, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) stated if the uptick in cases and hospitalizations continued, then…
Cal/OSHA Clarifies COVID-19 Close Contact Definition
By Sean Paisan on
Posted in CalOSHA
In early June 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an order revising the definition of “close contact.” Under the CDPH order, close contact was defined as “someone sharing the same indoor airspace (e.g. home, clinic waiting room, airplane, etc.) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.”…
Governor Rolls Back California COVID-19 Executive Orders & Cal/OSHA Releases Draft Permanent COVID-19 Standard
By Sean Paisan on
Posted in CalOSHA
On June 17, 2022, Governor Newsom issued an executive order terminating certain provisions of prior executive orders related to Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS). Some of the terminated orders were no longer necessary due to changes in the ETS. For example, previously the Governor had issued an executive order stating exclusion periods could not…
Cal/OSHA Releases Updated FAQs & Fact Sheets for Third Readoption of ETS
By Sean Paisan & Sierra Vierra on
Posted in CalOSHA
At the end of April, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted to approve the Third Readoption of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). The revised version of the ETS took effect on May 6, 2022.
As promised when passed, Cal/OSHA has released updated guidance to assist with this version of the ETS that…
Cal/OSHA Approves the Third Readoption of Cal/OSHA ETS
By Sean Paisan & Melodie K. Arian on
Posted in CalOSHA
On April 21, 2022, Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board voted to approve the Third Readoption of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS).
The third adoption makes some changes to the ETS previously in effect. Some of the more significant changes include:
- Elimination of the requirement that face coverings pass the “light test” (g.does not
…
Cal/OSHA to Vote on Third Readoption of ETS
By Sean Paisan & Melodie K. Arian on
Posted in CalOSHA
Though California has mostly lifted COVID-19 requirements statewide, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board is not planning to let the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) expire. Per Governor Newsom’s executive order, the expiration of the second readoption of the ETS was extended to May 6, 2022, but the Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board has posted a notice that it…