Author: Jessica Yang

California Employment Law Update – Changes Coming in 2024 A series of new laws that will impact employers in 2024 is just around the corner. Many of these new laws, summarized below, will require employers to revise their policies to ensure compliance. New Laws Requiring Changes to your Employment Policies Employers Must Provide 5 days of Paid Sick Leave Each Year (SB 616) SB 616 expands paid sick leave entitlements for California employees. Beginning January …

Since the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into law on March 18, 2020, a number of cities in California have either: (1) clarified employees can use accrued paid sick leave for COVID-19-related reasons or (2) adopted their own ordinances requiring employers exempt from the FFCRA to provide supplemental or additional paid sick leave to employees to use for COVID-19-related reasons. Because many of these ordinances provide protections and leave even beyond that …

Now that “stay at home” orders are in place in most states, and the federal and many state governments have recommended that employers permit or require employees to work from home whenever possible in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has become the new temporary norm for many employees. Working remotely during a pandemic can be stressful for both employers, which have a need to continue operations, as well as for employees, who …

On March 18, 2020, the federal government temporarily expanded the scope and application of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), via the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and its Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLAE or Expanded FMLA). This new law is effective on April 1, 2020 and will remain in effect until December 31, 2020. In sum, the Expanded FMLA provides 12-weeks of job-protected leave, with 10 weeks of paid leave, …

Lagasse Branch Bell + Kinkead LLP has assembled a taskforce of attorneys in our offices to address the many employment-related challenges employers are facing in the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This pandemic has presented an unprecedented situation leaving most organizations with questions including: how to maintain a safe work environment; what obligations they owe to employees; and how to answer employee questions regarding leave, pay and benefit programs. Following are answers to frequently …