Wearing a mask in healthcare settings will no longer be required in California, Oregon, or Washington as of April 3, 2023. The announcements from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and the Washington Department of Health (DOH) all say that masks are still recommended, and…
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On June 8, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) changed the definition of a COVID-19 “close contact” to someone sharing the same “indoor airspace” (instead of the prior standard of being within 6 feet) for a cumulative total of at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period during the infectious period of a…
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The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that California employers aren’t required to compensate applicants for time and travel expenses required to undergo mandatory preemployment drug tests. A grocery store with locations in California offered jobs to applicants contingent on a successful background check and drug test. The company paid…
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As summer approaches, now is the time to review your safety plans for protecting workers from heat illness hazards. California and Washington have state-specific heat stress regulations and directives that you must follow, while Arizona, Idaho, and Montana follow federal law. Meanwhile, Oregon is in the process of developing permanent…
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California, Oregon, and Washington are ending indoor mask requirements this month for most situations. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that starting March 1, 2022, masks are no longer required for unvaccinated individuals in public indoor spaces and starting March 12, 2022, masks will no longer be required in schools. Oregon…
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The California Labor Commissioner has published updated FAQs about the COVID-19 2022 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) law, which applies to employers with 26 or more employees. As we previously reported, the 2022 SPSL law (SB 114) took effect on February 19, 2022, requiring covered employers to provide SPSL to…
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Question: Early in the pandemic, we didn’t discipline for absences related to COVID-19 (coronavirus). With all that’s changed since then, can we return to our regular attendance policy? Answer: Not so fast. In any state, if an employee quarantines or isolates due to a workplace exposure, the employee may have protection under state…
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If you employ 26 or more employees, we recommend that you notify any California employees how you will handle retroactive requests for 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL). As we reported in a recent Alert, the 2022 COVID-19 SPSL law (SB 114) takes effect on February 19, 2022, but…
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The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) order that required everyone to wear masks in indoor public settings regardless of whether they were vaccinated against COVID-19 (coronavirus) expired on February 15, 2022, but the order still requires unvaccinated people to wear masks indoors. As we previously reported, the CDPH originally set…
Read More…On February 9, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law reviving supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL). California employers with 26 or more employees will need to provide up to 80 hours of SPSL to employees who are unable to work for reasons related to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The new COVID-19…
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