On January 8, 2021, Cal/OSHA significantly expanded the FAQs for California’s emergency temporary standard addressing COVID-19 workplace safety. As we previously reported, the standard took effect on November 30, 2020, and will remain in effect until October 2, 2021. Some of the key clarifications are: Enforcement: Until February 1, 2021, Cal/OSHA will cite…
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President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 into law on December 27, 2020. The enormous new law includes many separate parts, some of which have implications for employers. The highlights of the package include: An extension of the payback period for payroll taxes that employers had the option to…
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Arizona, California, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana have followed in Washington’s footsteps and adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s new shorter quarantine options either in whole or in part. As we previously reported, the CDC maintains that its prior recommendation of a 14-day quarantine for exposed individuals is still the safest…
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The emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) and emergency family and medical leave (EFMLA) created under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) are set to end on December 31, 2020. Although Congress continues to work on passing another COVID-19 relief bill, currently there is no provision in any bill to extend the…
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently changed its definition of “close contact” to determine potential exposure to COVID-19 (coronavirus). “Close contact” is now defined as a combined total of 15 minutes within a 24-hour period within six feet of someone infected with the virus. Previously, close contact was defined as a…
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The Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) continues to tinker with the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) rules, finalizing more changes on October 2, 2020. These latest rules mainly relate to legislative changes passed this year in SHB 2614 and minor tweaks to a handful of definitions. The revised rules are…
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California employees who test positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus) will have an easier time getting workers’ compensation benefits thanks to Senate Bill 1159, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 17, 2020. As we previously reported, Governor Newsom issued an executive order in May creating this same presumption, but that order expired in…
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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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Effective September 11, 2020, employers in San Francisco face steep penalties if they take adverse action against workers who are absent or request time off because they test positive for COVID-19, or because they isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19 symptoms or exposure. The new ordinance offers job protections for…
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Effective October 1, 2020, covered employers in unincorporated Sacramento County must provide paid sick leave to eligible workers for qualifying, COVID-19-related reasons, and all employers in unincorporated Sacramento County must implement specific COVID-19-related safety protocols and practices in their facilities. Under the Sacramento County Worker Protection, Health and Safety Act…
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