Another year; another legislative update. The Governor has signed several bills impacting employers that go into effect in 2024. To learn more about 2024 legal updates and how they impact your existing policies and handbooks, please join us for an informational webinar, including a Q&A session, on Thursday, November 30 at 11:00 a.m. PST.

The Legislature passed Assembly Bill 2288 and Senate Bill 92 Thursday, June 27, 2024, and the Governor signed New PAGA into law this week on Monday, July 1, 2024. If you missed our 2024 PAGA Revamp webinar yesterday, check out the replay and the slides here, where you’ll learn the most important things employers need to know to take advantage of the new law. Our litigation and compliance leaders shared how you can immediately take advantage of New PAGA through proactive wage and hour compliance.

Last week, the California Supreme Court issued a decision in Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel addressing what rate needs to be paid for meal and rest period premium payments.

On March 19, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 95, which creates new Labor Code section 248.2 and mandates that employers provide employees with supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) for various COVID-related absences in addition to paid time off benefits employees receive by law or policy, e.g., non-COVID statutory paid sick leave or vacation.

For the first time this year, California is requiring employers to report not only their employees’ pay data but also pay data for individuals hired through labor contractors (i.e., staffing agencies). On an annual basis, these reports will be due the second Wednesday in May for the prior year.

This guidance recommends stronger workplace COVID protocols, including increased masking for all employees regardless of vaccination status and encourages vaccination for all employees. It also recommends physical distancing and other COVID prevention and reporting methods most businesses already have in place. At this time, the OSHA recommendations are guidance only and are not mandatory.

The stay on the Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”) was dissolved on Friday and the ETS is now reinstated. OSHA will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the ETS before January 10 and will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before February 9, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard.

To refresh your recollection, below is the original legislative update about the new ETS.