2023 Employment Law Updates

Welcome to 2023.  New Year,  New You,  New California Employment Laws! Here is a quick overview of the most significant new laws that went into effect on January 1, 2023. This is not an exhaustive list but one that will apply to most small to medium-sized business owners in California. PRACTICAL TIP: Make sure your documents reflect that you are implementing changes that are applicable to your business. For example, update your written notice to employees of the terms of their employment to reflect the new hourly rate if you have employees who make minimum wage. Update the language in your employee handbooks to reflect the ability to designate non-family members for CFRA and paid sick leave.  PAY Minimum Wage Increases/Exempt Pay Increases The California state minimum wage in 2023 is now $15.50 per hour for all employees, regardless of the employer’s size. However, some cities and counties have even higher local minimum wage requirements. Employers should check the minimum wage requirements for all cities and counties where their employees work.  Some cities with higher minimum wage requirements include Los … Continue reading

In: California Leave Law, Employer Postings, Employment Law, New Laws, Starting a Business, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Employer’s COVID-19 Notice Requirements

AB-654 went into effect immediately on October 5, 2021, and will expire on January 1, 2023. The law amends California Labor Code Section 6325 and amends and repeals Labor Code section 6409.6 relating to occupational safety and notice requirements about COVID-19 in the workplace.  Below is an outline of an employers’ notice requirements as well as duties to report exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace.  If you receive an OSHA that your place of employment, operation, or process, poses an imminent risk to workers of exposure to infection with COVID-19, resulting in OSHA prohibiting entry to the place of employment or prohibiting the risky operation or process, you must post the OSHA notice in a conspicuous place at the place of employment and may not be removed except by an authorized OSHA representative. If you receive notice of potential exposure to COVID-19, the employer must do the following within one business day of the notice of potential exposure: Provide a written notice of potential exposure to 1. All employees; and 2. employers of subcontracted employees who were at the same … Continue reading

In: Employer Postings, Employment Law, New Laws, Uncategorized, What to Do | Leave a comment

Employers Have Until July 19th to Submit Workforce Demographics Data to EEOC

The EEOC just announced the opening of 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 component 1 data collection of workforce demographics after a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Required filers must provide demographic workforce data including data by race/ethnicity, sex, and job categories. EEO-1 Component 1 data are used by the EEOC to investigate charges of employment discrimination against employers and to provide information about the employment status of minorities and women. Who Must Submit Data? Private employers with 100 or more employees, and Federal contractors with 50 or more employees meeting certain criteria When is the Deadline to Submit the Demographic Data? The deadline to submit EEO-1Component 1 data is July 19, 2021. This July 19th deadline applies to demographic data for both 2019 and 2020. How Do I File EE-1 Component 1 Data? Create an account at https://eeocdata.org/EEO1/cb326247-33b9-4318-9c39-f63948021d67/GetStarted Once a user account is created, there are two different ways to file the 2019 and 2020 EEO-1Component 1 Report(s): ONLINE FORM (available beginning Monday, April 26, 2021) Filers may enter their data into a secure data entry form via the EEO-1 … Continue reading

In: Employment Law, New Laws, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Paid Sick Leave Under FFCRA Expired – Now What?

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s (FFCRA) paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave requirements expired on December 31, 2020. Thus, employers are no longer obligated to provide paid sick leave to employees who are unable to work due to a Covid-19 related illness, the need to quarantine because of exposure, to care for a family member who is ill due to Covid-19, or to care for a child because of school closure related to Covid-19.  However, employers may voluntarily choose to provide paid sick leave to employees for Covid-19 related reasons. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, extended the employer tax credits for paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave voluntarily provided to employees until March 31, 2021. To voluntarily provide paid sick leave, or not to pay, that is the question. The Pros of Extending Paid Sick Leave Covid-19 infection rates continue to rise and the need remains. Paid leave slows the spread. Providing leave to employees who test positive or exhibit symptoms will slow the spread of the disease generally and within your workplace. … Continue reading

In: California Leave Law, Employment Law, New Laws, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Free Webinar: New California Employment Laws Going Into Effect in 2021 (some already have)

As a California business owner or advisor, you may have been juggling the challenges of keeping the business afloat, keeping employees safe, and keeping updated on the new regulations that seem to appear every day.

To help with that last task, this free webinar will address the new California employment laws that recently went into effect and/or will go into effect in 2021.
Continue reading

In: Employment Law, New Laws, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

CARES Act – Paycheck Protection Program

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the “CARES Act” became law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act was passed in an effort to help small businesses continue operations and retain workers as the country meets the challenge of curbing the devastation of COVID-19 and the resulting impact such efforts have had, and will continue to have, on the economy. The CARES Act is an extensive piece of legislation. This post will focus on providing a summary of the main provisions related to the Paycheck Protection Program available to businesses with less than 500 employees. What is the Paycheck Protection Program? The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) allows the Small Business Administration (SBA) to administer and work with lenders to provide forgivable loans to small businesses through June 30, 2020, to be used by borrowers for certain permissible purposes related to payroll costs and certain necessary business expenses. Who qualifies for the Paycheck Protection Program? To qualify for the Paycheck Protection Loan, the borrower must be: 1. A businesses with not more than 500 employees; Includes, individuals who … Continue reading

In: Employment Law, New Laws, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) Signed Into Law

Yesterday, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was passed into law and goes into effect on April 1, 2020, and stays in effect until December 31, 2020. If you are an employer with less than 500 employees, please read because this will apply to you. Employers, check out our COVID-19 Resource Guide. The Act: requires private insurance plans to provide free COVID-19 testing; requires employers to provide emergency paid sick leave to workers affected by COVID-19 and expands family and medical leave; and provides increased funding for state unemployment insurance programs, food stamp and nutritional programs and others. This post will focus on the emergency family and medical leave and emergency sick leave aspects of the Act, which will affect the vast majority of employers and employees across the country. There are two provisions providing paid leave to employees forced to miss work because of the COVID-19 outbreak: an emergency expansion of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and a new federal paid sick leave law. Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act FMLA Coverage is Expanded to Include Most Employers – The Act … Continue reading

In: Employer Postings, Employment Law, Uncategorized, What to Do | Leave a comment

COVID-19 Resource Guide for Employers

Please keep in mind that the situation is ever-developing and information and guidelines will constantly change. That being said, as of today, there are many programs available to you both on the state and federal level. Where can I get help if my business is facing financial strain due to COVID-19? The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) provides small business owners with low-interest disaster relief loans if their business is in a state and county that has been declared an “Eligible Disaster Area” by the SBA. In California, as of March 16, the following counties have been declared as eligible: Alameda, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma, Tuolumne, Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Imperial, Kern, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Napa, Orange, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Ventura and Yolo. If your business is located in an Eligible Disaster Area, you may qualify for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the SBA. To qualify, an applicant must have an acceptable credit history, … Continue reading

In: Uncategorized, What to Do | Leave a comment