At the end of the 2019-20 legislative session, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a number of new bills into law. Expanding the scope of exempt professions, such as recording artists, songwriters, lyricists, licensed landscape architects, real estate appraisers, still photographers, photojournalists, videographers, photo editors, fine artists, freelance translators, content contributors, advisors, narrators, cartographers, producers, copy editors, and illustrators. NOVEMBER 2020, Volume 34, No. Companies with CA employees are advised to update applicable policies and procedures. AB 685 delineates an employer’s obligations by prescribing notice requirements in the event of a COVID-19 exposure in the workplace, requiring them to provide notice to employees and subcontractor employers within one business day of a potential COVID-19 exposure. The expanded provisions become effective January 1, 2021. (California Desktop Codes) at Legal Solutions from Thomson Reuters. Labor & Emp't Rev. All laws discussed in this post go into effect on January 1, 2021, unless otherwise noted. AB 2765 expands As we have seen over the past decade, California’s Legislature enacted a large number of new labor and employment laws as it concluded its 2020 Legislative Session. Making important contractual changes to business-to-business exemptions. 4. For other employees, the law applies if there is an “outbreak at the employee’s specific place of employment.”  An outbreak exists if: 5. Section 226.75 of the Labor Code currently exempts employees who hold safety-sensitive positions at petroleum facilities from being relieved of all duties during rest periods. AB 2992 extends those protections to victims of crime or abuse, and to immediate family members of homicide victims. SB 1159 – Workers’ Compensation COVID-19 Presumption. 1. Prior to the Governor’s approval of the new legislation, only employees victimized by domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking were entitled to such protections. California’s SB 493 provides additional protection to students facing sexual harassment in institutions of higher education receiving state financial assistance. According to SB 826, that number must increase in proportion to the corporation’s total number of seats by December 31, 2021. AB 1512 allows security guards to remain on-call and on the premises during their rest breaks. Below is a summary of some of these laws that employers should make themselves aware of heading into the new year. Under the new CRFA, employees are eligible for up to 12 workweeks of unpaid protected leave during any 12-month period to: This is a notable development in that small businesses will now need to get up to speed on all these new CRFA requirements come January 1st. California currently requires publicly traded corporations with principal executive offices in California to have at least one female director on their board (SB 826). Assembly Bill 685 – … There are several new 2021 California employment laws of which employers must be aware, as they may affect daily business operations, policies and employees. If there are five seats, there must be at least two female directors, and if there are four or fewer seats, there must be at least one female director.Â. Such employees must be available to respond immediately to emergencies by staying on the premises and carrying a communication device during rest periods. Below are some of the significant changes related to COVID-19 that employers should look out for as we head into the new year. Disqus Comments. Read the Summary of California Labor Law Updates employers need to know heading into 2021. The bill also expands the nature of relief obtained during a leave of absence to include seeking medical attention for injuries caused by crime or abuse, obtaining psychological counseling, attending judicial proceedings, or to participating in safety planning. Five new laws California employers need to understand for 2021. Our California Employment Law Practice Our California employment attorneys – with over 50 years of collective experience litigating under California employment law – know how to fight for employees’ rights and get them the money they deserve. New Employment Laws for 2021 The following employment laws are effective in California beginning January 1, 2021, unless otherwise specified as an urgency statute. The only bill to make it through this year has been AB 2257, which, while retaining the “ABC Test,” introduces important modifications to some of the current exceptions to the test, including but not limited to: SB 1159 establishes a rebuttable presumption (in other words, an assumption that is legally taken to be true unless someone comes forward to contest it and prove otherwise) that an employee contracted COVID-19 at work if the employee tests positive or is diagnosed with coronavirus 14 days after performing labor or services at the employee’s place of employment. California Employment Law Alert: New Employment Laws Effective On or Before January 1, 2021 Posted on December 18, 2020 by Laura P. Worsinger , Allison M. Scott California employers need to be prepared for unprecedented compliance challenges in recent legislation related to the ongoing pandemic, expanding leave protections, wage and hour compliance risks, and much more. 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