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Joseph Henney’s gator companion Wally is not an ordinary pet—he’s an official emotional support animal and one that is now somewhat famous after a video of Henney and Wally walking together in Philadelphia’s Love Park went viral and made news headlines. While having an alligator as a support animal is not common, many remote and hybrid workers have become accustomed to having an adorable furry friend in their home office, as they work. Sometimes, these little companions even make appearances on Zoom meetings and work calls (whether intentional or not).

The ability to work from home is, in many ways, a privilege. Those who work in service industries and aren’t given the option to work remotely don’t have the same amount of flexibility or control over their time as remote workers. When we talk with employers who need help retaining employees, we often suggest offering remote or hybrid work schedules as an attraction tool. Not having to drive to the office daily offers everybody, whether they are a caregiver or not, the same thing—flexibility and time. In fact, a 2023 study found that getting rid of a commute to the office saved American workers an average of 72 minutes a day.  

As soon as the Labor Day festivities are behind us signaling the end of Summer, America’s collective mind focuses on the next, and arguably one of the year’s biggest holidays, Halloween. While there are many versions regarding the origin of the celebration and the days surrounding it may have different cultural and religious significance for many, Halloween has become at its core a fun day for the young and the young-at-heart.

Although the writing has been on the wall, fast food chains need to prepare for fundamental changes in how they do business in California. In an agreement between labor and fast-food companies, the FAST Act (AB 257) has been repealed, but replaced with other terms under AB 1228.

School is back in session! When class begins, so do school activities that your employees may need to attend, including parent-teacher conferences, back-to-school nights, open houses, plays, award ceremonies, etc. When your employees request time off to attend these events in California, there are two school-related leaves that you should know about as an employer.

Although California’s COVID-19 State of Emergency is over, it’s evident that COVID-19 is not going away. So, now that we are “living” with COVID, as opposed to fearing it, what can employers do to prevent the spread of this and all diseases in the workplace?

For years, California's Fair Chance Act has been shaping how employers consider criminal history in their hiring processes. As of July 24, 2023, significant modifications have been approved, set to roll out on October 1, 2023.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board), in the Stericycle decision, recently changed the way it will evaluate reasonable workplace rules under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA or Act). The Board found that prior analysis was “problematic because it permitted employers to adopt overbroad work rules that chill employees’ exercise of their rights under Section 7 (the right to discuss wage and other terms and conditions of employment) of the Act.” The NLRB was concerned that employers were not required “to narrowly tailor their rules to further their business interests without unnecessarily burdening employee rights.” This decision applies to all private sector employers, whether unionized or not, and is retroactive.

Just as employers throughout the state had gotten used to the current $15.50 minimum wage, and many mid-year increases took place in various cities throughout the state, the California Department of Finance has announced that the state minimum wage is set to increase to $16 per hour on January 1, 2024.

A bill that didn’t get much attention back in January is something many employers need to be aware of to avoid fines and lawsuits. California enacted Assembly Bill 1632, which requires many businesses to allow certain individuals to use their employee toilet facilities, even if they do not normally make those facilities available to the general public.

What is a reasonable accommodation when it comes to a pregnant employee? Over the summer, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) tried to tackle this question with the creation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The PWFA took effect on June 27, 2023, and is designed to offer more protection to pregnant workers across the U.S.

Have you recently been hired or promoted to a Human Resource role? Are you located out of the State of California and need an overview of how we do things differently in the Golden State? Do you wear multiple hats—Office Manager, Team Lead, etc.? Need an HR refresher? If so, CEA has designed the class for you—and it starts in September!

Q: Summer is starting to wind down and school will be starting soon, but there's still warm weather in the forecast. My employees are asking for some last-minute vacation requests and I can’t say yes to them. What is the best way to handle these requests for time off?

While workplace conflict is normal, it’s also very challenging to navigate and handle effectively. Most companies encourage an open door policy and, it seems like more than ever, employees are exercising their right to “speak up” when they have a concern or question about issues in the workplace.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) just announced a new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Read on for the highlights from a recent public notice, which also summarizes the changes to the form.

While CEA Subject Matter Experts provide employers with guidance on the best practices for HR compliance in California, we rely on our attorney partners to give insight from the legal perspective and to offer legal support for our members when confidential advice is needed. That is why we are excited to have one of our attorney partners, Duggan McHugh, present Compliance Matters: Navigating the Workplace Audit Journey on August 9.

There is a lot of talk these days about the different generations in the workplace. Each generation has unique experiences and interests and each may prefer or value different benefits at work. (Check out our free webinar on Generations in the Workplace on August 22, 2023). At its core, a multigenerational benefits plan is simply a benefits package that includes a little something for everyone and offers the flexibility for employees to choose their most meaningful benefits.

You, our valued members, are the reason that the California Employers Association was founded in 1937! As a thank you for being a member, we dedicate every August to YOU! Yes, we realize it’s only July but now is the time to sign up for next month’s exciting events.

School's out…for the summer! As the weather warms up, people begin thinking more about vacations. The summer months are also a time when many industries experience an increase in work. Many employers may find themselves trying to balance staffing demands and their employees’ need to take time away to recharge their batteries. Now is a good time to review your employee handbook to see if your policies and procedures around paid time off are clear and easy to understand, by both your employees and your management team.  

Many poster updates are coming through this summer with a hefty fine attached. Get the details here.

Employee climate surveys, also known as employee engagement surveys or employee satisfaction surveys, can be extremely useful for employers. When employees feel heard at work, they are 5X more likely to give their best effort according to a recent Salesforce study. A transparent company culture promotes trust. High levels of trust improve business results, especially in the metric of employee experience. 

As Nobel Prize Winner Pablo Neruda once said “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” Likewise, after multiple extensions, it appears that the USCIS is finally ending temporary flexibilities for remote I-9 verification granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s becoming more common for employees to work remotely. However, distractions are all around, especially when kids are out of school and working from your home office may not be so quiet anymore. Every workspace has distractions, preventing you from staying focused on work-related tasks. Take steps to maximize your productivity and stay on track while maximizing your work-life balance.

The months of May and June are often marked by the end of the academic school year, graduation parties, and shopping and dining out as the weather warms. With school out for the summer, you may be considering hiring a minor or intern.

Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy as it used to be to hire teens looking to make extra cash. From a compliance perspective, there are a few hurdles to consider. However, with the right steps, hiring minors can be a great way to staff up and train our next generation’s workforce!

As May winds down and Mental Health Awareness Month comes to an end, we offer you this third article, in our series of three, to provide you and your employees with tips to manage anxiety.  

Your mental health includes how you think, feel and act, as well as your emotional and social well-being. Mental health can change over time, depending on factors like workload, stress and work-life balance.

Established in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month is a national movement in May that aims to increase awareness about mental health, fight stigma, celebrate recovery, and support Americans with mental illness and their families. This is the first article, in a series of three, that explores mental health in the workplace and different ways employers can support employee mental health.

Is your company required to report your pay data to the Civil Rights Department and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), through the EEO-1? If so, are you ready to submit your Pay Data Report on or before the May 10, 2023 deadline? 

If you’re scratching your head, you are not alone. Many employers are still fuzzy on some of the new pay reporting rules. Employers have been calling and asking for guidance on this issues, so we’ve compiled some basic information to help answer your questions and keep you in compliance.

There has been slow, but steady, progress being made on the Proposed Section 3396 Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment Regulation.

The journey to create regulation to protect workers from indoor heat began in 2016 when then Governor Brown approved Senate Bill 1196 which required the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) to propose to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Standards Board) for review and adoption, a standard that minimizes heat-related illness and injury among workers working in indoor places of employment. As currently drafted, this regulation would apply to all indoor work areas where the temperature equals or exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present, with some exceptions.

Several weeks ago I heard about “ChatGPT” in a conference call with other association executives.  After that first mention of ChatGPT, I watched a Zoom presentation given by a colleague at a virtual conference called, “What is ChatGPT and Why Should I Care?” Since then, I began seeing articles about ChatGPT appear in my daily newsfeeds and now, suddenly, it’s everywhere!As I learn more, it’s interesting to read opinions about ChatGPT that range from fears that robots will take over the world and we will all forget how to think for ourselves, to the promise that it will make our lives so much easier, because it’s like having a personal assistant.     

Whether you’ve started playing around with ChatGPT or not, this new technology is not going away.  Like many, I want to learn more about it, embrace it, and use it to my advantage.  At the same time, I’ve been around long enough to know that with all exciting new opportunities, there are usually some downsides.