EMPLOYEES TESTING POSITIVE: WHAT NOW? Employers have independent legal obligations to 1) record and 2) report outbreaks of COVID-19 (hereafter, "CV") in the workplace. RECORDING REQUIREMENTS Generally, California employers experiencing a CV-related fatality or illness, must record such events, as…

The radical changes wrought by the Coronavirus Pandemic are likely to remain with us until a vaccine is developed and distributed on a world-wide basis.  Until then, the shock waves that are presently rocking the economy will continue to jostle…

Heads Up! LAWSUIT PREVENTION FOR EMPLOYERS California Court Grants Injunction Against AB 51 The Coronavirus pandemic has thrust an avalanche of new legal obligations on the employer community.  These are widely expected to yield a bumper crop of lawsuits in…

Heads Up! LAWSUIT PREVENTION FOR EMPLOYERS On April 6, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (hereafter, “DOL”) issued final regulations interpreting two constituent components of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”).  These are 1) the Emergency Family and Medical…

Heads Up! LAWSUIT PREVENTION FOR EMPLOYERS BE FOREWARNED: The California WARN Act Requires Several Written Notices Before Employees Can Be Laid Off Legal Issue:  An emergency executive order issued by Governor Newsom on March 17, 2020 suspended the normal rule…

Heads Up! LAWSUIT PREVENTION FOR EMPLOYERS Legal Issue: Employers are subject to numerous new Corona-related legal requirements.  Of particular note are the new paid sick leave requirements, starting April 1, summarized below.  That means paid sick leave could be due…

Heads Up! LAWSUIT PREVENTION FOR EMPLOYERS Essential Legal Issues For Employers  Pursuant to the “Essential Infrastructure” exemption applicable to most California counties, many employers are continuing their operations, at least in part. For questions about this exemption, please contact my…

Heads Up! LAWSUIT PREVENTION FOR EMPLOYERS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? Employers Should Consider the California Employment Development Department ("EDD") Work Sharing Unemployment Insurance Program. With the COVID-19 crisis confronting virtually every California employer to one degree or another, a major…

Heads Up! LAWSUIT PREVENTION FOR EMPLOYERS Background A new and highly-contagious virus, first identified in China in late 2019, has quickly spread throughout the world, and has now reached the United States.  The new coronavirus, COVID-19, is a pneumonia-like infection…

With the prohibition on requiring  new employees to submit to mandatory arbitration, effective January 1, 2020, it is more important than ever that employers maximize the substantial legal protections that employee handbooks afford them. This starts with developing a state-of-the-art…