On July 26, 2021, in light of an uptick in COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases and hospitalizations, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office announced new measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect those most vulnerable. Said to be “a first-in-the-nation standard,” the new measures require all state workers and workers in health care and…
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Santa Clara County issued an order on June 21, 2021, phasing out their previous order from May 18, 2021 (which we reported on here), which required employers to inquire about an unvaccinated employee’s status every 14 days to see if they had been vaccinated against COVID-19 (coronavirus). The new order reduces an…
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The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has enacted an urgency ordinance extending the county’s COVID-19 (coronavirus) emergency paid sick leave ordinance (EPSL) through September 30, 2021, and expanding several areas of EPSL protection. As we previously reported, the original Sonoma County EPSL expired on December 31, 2020, but was extended through June…
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The California Labor Commissioner’s office has updated its FAQs regarding 2021 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) to clarify whether an employee’s leave request qualifies for SPSL. Specifically, the update offers clarification around leave for childcare purposes; whether a covered employee qualifies for leave because someone they live with is exposed,…
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The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) released updated employment guidance related to COVID-19 (coronavirus) on March 4, 2021, including mandatory vaccination policies. DFEH Employment Information on COVID-19 replaces previous guidance issued March 20, 2020 and July 24, 2020. The DFEH says you may implement mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies…
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The following California cities and counties can now be added to the list of those that have extended and/or revised their COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) ordinances: Los Angeles (city): The City of Los Angeles supplemental paid sick leave ordinance applies to businesses with 500 or more employees within the…
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The California Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) has launched a new portal to serve as a “one-stop hub for California employers to quickly find up-to-date state and local county COVID-19 guidance by industry.” The new site uses guidance already available from state and local sources, including information about benefits, paid sick leave,…
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The Santa Rosa City Council has voted to temporarily reinstate and amend its emergency supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) ordinance related to COVID-19. Read our article on the City’s original ordinance (which expired on December 31, 2020) here. The new amended ordinance took effect on February 2, 2021, and is set to…
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Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 685, which will require employers to provide employees with specific notice after becoming aware of a potential COVID-19 exposure in the workplace. The new law also gives the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CalOSHA) the authority to shut down a facility if it’s deemed to…
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As we previously reported, a recent California law expanded COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) to all California employees, which has resulted in a new required posting for covered employers, as well as an updated SPSL poster for food sector workers. Pursuant to an executive order that Governor Newsom signed in…
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