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Schools out…for summer! As the weather warms up, people begin thinking more about vacation and in some industries, summer months also result in increased work demands. Many employers are finding themselves trying to balance staffing demands with 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 employees and your management team.

Question: I know that as of January 1, 2024, I have to provide a full week of mandatory sick leave each year for my employees. Should I go with the lump sum plan or the accrual method?

While the end of the year is full of excitement with holidays, at CEA this time of year buzzes with “labor law update excitement,” as new bills and rules flood in for California employers. 2024 brings some big changes for California employers, with paid sick leave taking the cake! Read on for some highlights and don’t forget to register for our 2024 Labor Law Update, where we will cover everything for you in much more detail!

Employers—it is time to pull out your handbooks and get ready for some major revisions to two leave laws for 2024: paid sick leave and bereavement leave. California employers must prepare for the mandatory paid sick leave increase to a full week, as well as a brand new bereavement leave for reproductive loss events. Keep reading below for key insights!

On September 29, Governor Newsom signed AB 152, which extends employer COVID sick pay obligations—known as 2022 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL)—through December 31, 2022. California employers can also expect COVID workplace regulations to continue well into 2023. The Governor also signed AB 2693 (revising and extending COVID reporting requirements) and AB 1751 (extending COVID workers’ compensation presumptions).

If you are an employer with 26 or more employees, then get ready to comply with California’s 2022 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“2022 SPSL”) requirements, under SB 114. The law is effective on February 19, 2022 and retroactive. Although “2022 SPSL” is similar to California’s expired 2021 version (SB 95), there are some notable differences. 

On March 19, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 95, which creates a new Labor Code Section 248.2 and Labor Code Section 248.3. These new Labor Code sections provide covered employees and in-home supportive service providers with up to 80 new hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave. As explained below, the bill is far more expansive than the California COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave statute that expired on December 31, 2020.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which took effect in April and applied to public employers and businesses with fewer than 500 employees, provided COVID-19 related emergency paid sick leave and family leave benefits. The FFCRA expired on December 31, but with a twist.

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays has taken on a whole new meaning this year. Most of us have been home for months now and your employees may be eager to travel, get together with family, and take time off. Here are a few reminders for California employers about holiday pay, vacation/PTO plans, and travel as we head into the holiday season.

 Effective September 19, 2020, AB 1867 adds Labor Codes 248 and 248.1 and requires California employers with 500 or more employees nationwide, and public or private entities that employ health care providers or emergency responders to provide supplemental paid sick leave for COVID-19 related reasons until December 31, 2020. This law also requires a new posting be provided to employees by large employers.

On August 3, 2020, a federal district judge ruled that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) exceeded its authority with respect to certain paid-leave eligibility requirements when interpreting the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). 

The emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) and emergency family medical leave (EFLMLA), under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) both went into effect on April 1, 2020.

Last evening, the federal government approved the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The new law takes effect "no later than" 15 days from the date of its enactment which is April 1 and ends on December 31, 2020.

Coronavirus is here and information changes daily. As the crisis unfolds, employers have many questions regarding reducing risk, business impact, and managing employees. At CEA, our members have raised lots of good questions and concerns. On March 19, 2020, all employers can join us for a free one-hour discussion on coronavirus and the workplace.

CEA has started receiving calls from employers regarding the coronavirus. What can they do if an employee has the virus? What about employees who travel to areas that are highly affected? What if our business operations are affected? We answer these and more.