Earlier this month, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted the defendant U.S. Soccer Federation’s motion for summary judgment with respect to the plaintiffs’ Equal Pay Act (EPA) claims.1 The case gained attention in recent months following the U.S. women’s national soccer team victory at the
Articles Discussing General Workplace Issues in California.
California Releases COVID-19 Guidance for 20 Different Industries as the State Goes Back to Work
The State of California, through the Department of Public Health, Department of Social Services, and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), has released COVID-19 guidance and checklists for 20 different industries as employers prepare to reopen and employees head back to work.
California AG Urges Consumers to be Vigilant While Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic
With California’s mandatory COVID-19 stay-at home orders impacting some 40 million people by forcing the vast majority of them to connect remotely to work, go to school, order necessities, socialize and do many other things, California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra recently issued an alert reminding consumers of their privacy rights
A Temperature Check on Reopening San Diego
With little notice or fanfare, San Diego County updated its emergency health order effective May 10, 2020 to provide additional protections for employees of essential and reopened businesses.
Expanded Wage Replacement Entitlements for California Employees Caring for Children During COVID-19 School Closures
Before the COVID-19 crisis, there were limited paid leave entitlements in California for employees requiring time off to deal with childcare and school closures. California Labor Code 230.8 required that employers of 25 or more employees working at the same location were required to provide employees with up to 40 hours of
Bay Bridge Series: Oakland Enacts COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Ordinance
On May 12, 2020, Oakland joined the list of California localities that have enacted a law requiring supplemental paid sick leave for COVID-19 purposes, along with Los Angeles (City), Los Angeles County (Unincorporated),
City of Los Angeles Enacts COVID-19 Related Worker Retention and Right of Recall Ordinances
The City of Los Angeles has enacted two Ordinances requiring fair employment practices in response to job and economic insecurity due to COVID-19 related shelter in place orders. The Ordinances, which go into effect on June 14, 2020, apply to four categories of businesses and employers which the City found
California’s Resilience Roadmap and Guidance to Employers for Stage Two Reopening
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a plan to allow the limited reopening of some businesses beyond those in the category of essential critical infrastructure. This limited reopening is part of the “Resilience Roadmap” for California, the multi-phase plan to modify the statewide stay-at-home Order, originally issued on March 19, 2020, in
California Creates a Rebuttable Presumption that Certain Workers Who Report COVID-19 Illness Are Entitled to Workers’ Compensation Benefits
On May 6, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-62-20, immediately creating a monumental change in how claims of industrially contracted COVID-19 suffered by the state’s “essential workforce” will be addressed.
City of Los Angeles Enacts Mandatory Right to Recall and Worker Retention Ordinances
Two new City of Los Angeles ordinances that the mayor signed into law on May 4, 2020 will force employers in certain industries to rehire laid off or furloughed employees in a specified manner, rather than at the employer’s discretion.
Los Angeles County Passed a Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Ordinance to Cover Employers in Unincorporated Areas of the County
Last week, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors enacted an urgency ordinance to require employers with 500 or more employees nationally to provide supplemental paid sick leave to covered employees for COVID-19 related reasons. The County’s ordinance applies only to businesses in unincorporated areas of the County and to employees
Los Angeles Continues to Lead Worker Protection in Hospitality, Janitorial, and Tourism Sectors Through Right of Recall and Retention Upon Change in Ownership
Executive Summary: On April 29, 2020, the Los Angeles City Council adopted two ordinances governing (1) right of recall and (2) protection of workers in the hospitality, janitorial, and tourism industries within the City of Los Angeles (the “City”). The purposes of these Ordinances are to protect workers that have been particularly impacted by the pandemic and ensure fair employment practices. Mayor Eric Garcetti has previously stated that he intends to sign these Ordinances.
Mary Jane and the Remote Workplace
As shelter in place orders were rolled out in California, many businesses transitioned their workforce to remote work for the first time. Employers had to determine how to track hours worked or what qualified as a business expense. However, other unique questions arise with a remote workforce, such as how
California Counties and Cities Issue Face Covering Requirements
In the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, a number of counties and cities in California have issued Orders requiring residents and visitors to wear face coverings when in public. Additionally, many of the other counties that have not issued face covering mandates have strongly recommended that residents and visitors wear face coverings in public. Below is a summary of the requirements for each California county that has addressed the issue to date.
Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (Immediately) Required in Unincorporated Los Angeles County, California
On April 28, 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to enact an interim urgency ordinance to require employers with 500 or more employees within the United States to provide supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) to covered employees immediately until December 31, 2020 (unless the Board extends its applicability). This development represents the fourth local emergency paid leave ordinance in California (and possibly not the last), including one in the City of Los Angeles, in addition to a statewide mandate effectuated by California Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-51-20 for covered food sector workers.