As wildfire season is well underway, California employers need to be cognizant of the requirements to protect employees who are exposed to the hazards of wildfire smoke. In particular, Cal/OSHA’s wildfire smoke protection regulation (found here) applies whenever: (1) the current Air Quality Index (“AQI”) for PM2.5 is 151 or greater, and (2) the employer should reasonably anticipate that employees may be exposed to wildfire smoke. PM2.5 is defined as “Solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in air, known as particulate matter, with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller.”
Archives for September 1, 2021
OFCCP’s Affirmative Action Program Verification Interface Approved
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the OFCCP’s Affirmative Action Program Verification Interface (AAP-VI). Although the AAP-VI portal on the OFCCP’s website is not currently live, there is a placeholder page for it at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/aavi. The OFCCP has published a User Guide, available here, and an Admin Guide, available here, which provide more information about the AAP-VI. Currently, federal contractors submit their AAPs via mail or email during an audit, but when the AAP-VI becomes active it will be the primary source for entering, tracking, and submitting AAPs for review by the OFCCP. Contractors should note that the AAP-VI system will require them to respond annually in the System for Award Management (SAM) portal to a question seeking certification of their compliance with AAP requirements.
JENNIFER SHAW APPEARS ON “THE AFTERNOON NEWS” WITH KITTY O’NEAL TO DISCUSS DELTA CHARGING UNVACCINDATED EMPLOYEES $200
Jennifer Shaw appeared on “The Afternoon News with Kitty O’Neal” to discuss Delta Airlines saying employees will have to pay $200 more every month for their company-sponsored healthcare plan if they choose to not be vaccinated against COVID-19. You can listen to the interview here.
Sacramento Business Journal: CalChamber Executive to Join Shaw Law Group
The Sacramento Business Journal ran an article on the soon to be newest member of our team, Erika Frank. Read the full article here: CalChamber Executive to Join Shaw Law Group
COVID-19: Revisiting Mask Mandates: A CalChamber Podcast Featuring Jennifer Shaw
In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss COVID-19 workplace mask mandates. You can listen to the podcast here.
6 Strategies for Exhausted Working Parents
Feeling disempowered and burned out? You’re not alone.
EEOC To Sign New Memorandum of Understanding With Mexico On Workers’ Rights On Sept. 2
On Thursday, Sept. 2 at 10 a.m., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Government of Mexico, through its embassy in the United States, will sign a renewal of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) which calls for ongoing cooperation between the EEOC and the Mexican government to combat employment discrimination against Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals residing in the United States.
Employees are “dreaming” of a 4-day workweek, but bosses have different plans
Many employees think their employers would just load them up with more work if they were able to condense their five-day workweek into four days, according to a new report.
Can you be fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19?
More U.S. businesses have started requiring employees to get their COVID-19 shots, leaving the unvaccinated with a stark choice: Get jabbed or seek work elsewhere.
How to convince your boss to let you work from home when offices reopen
Amid a host of tragedies and travesties littering the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has yielded one positive trend I’m extremely grateful to see: a sweeping appreciation for remote work.
When Will Offices Be Full Again?
Companies keep delaying their return dates and altering other workplace policies as the pandemic persists.
Favoring Your Romantic or Sexual Partner at Work Is Not Sex Discrimination: 9th Circuit
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not outlaw business favoritism based on who you’re having sex with or are otherwise romantically involved with at work, according to a recent opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Virginia moves toward changing its rules on workplace COVID-19 safety
Virginia is moving toward loosening its first-in-the-nation COVID-19 workplace safety rules, which were designed to prevent the spread of the virus but also were criticized by many businesses as too unwieldy.
Half of employers could have vaccine mandates in the workplace by end of 2021, study finds
The number of U.S. employers requiring workers to get vaccinated is expected to surge over the next few months, according to a new survey.
New surveys show how pandemic workplace policies are shifting.
Google said on Tuesday that it would delay reopening its offices until Jan. 10.