Effective February 3, 2023 and in place until February 3, 2025, Cal-OSHA’s Non-Emergency Regulations direct all employers to continue to follow certain COVID-19 guidance. As a result, employers should vigilantly monitor the...more
On October 14, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) ordered a new definition of “Close Contact” effective immediately. The new definition requires employers to reexamine existing COVID-19 policies and...more
On September 29, 2022, Governor Newsom signed AB152 and extended California COVID Supplemental paid leave to December 31, 2022....more
On April 18, 2022, a Federal District Court struck down the CDC’s Mask Mandate that had required masking during travel throughout the United States concluding that the order exceeded the CDC’s statutory authority and failed...more
As positivity rates decline in the Golden State, effective March 12, 2022, California’s Public Health Department no longer requires the use of masks indoors in schools or childcare settings and Los Angeles County followed...more
3/14/2022
/ California ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Local Ordinance ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Students ,
Workplace Safety
Effective March 4, 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) eliminated a masking requirement for all persons, regardless of vaccination status, in most indoor public settings which aligns with the...more
3/7/2022
/ California ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Local Ordinance ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Workplace Safety
Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles issued updated indoor masking rules effective February 25, 2022 (“LA Orders”). The LA Orders give businesses two potential “exemptions” from existing indoor masking...more
3/1/2022
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports ,
Workplace Safety
On February 15, 2022, the Department of Public Health (CDPH) Order requiring masking of almost all Californians in most indoor public spaces will expire. Last week, CDPH issued new guidance that goes into effect on February...more
On January 5, 2022, the California Department of Public Health announced the extension of its statewide mask guidance for masking in all indoor public settings through February 15, 2022. ...more
1/6/2022
/ California ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Workplace Safety
As the COVID-19 Omicron variant spreads rapidly, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) lowered the thresholds that define “Mega Events” effective January 15, 2022. “Outdoor Mega Events” will occur with 5,000 or...more
1/3/2022
/ California ,
CDPH ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Events ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Quarantine ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
While the Supreme Court declined to stay the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency’s vaccine mandate for employers with 100+ employees or to change the status of the rule issued by the Centers for...more
12/27/2021
/ Appeals ,
Biden Administration ,
Case Consolidation ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Certiorari ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Popular ,
SCOTUS ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On December 17, 2021, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Biden administration’s Motion to Dissolve the stay on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (Fed/OSHA) COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing...more
12/20/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Motion to Dissolve ,
Multidistrict Litigation ,
OSHA ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
SCOTUS ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On December 13, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued updated “guidance” related to masking, the timing of COVID testing of non-vaccinated persons at Mega Events, and COVID testing for persons...more
12/17/2021
/ California ,
CDPH ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Events ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Workplace Safety
Yesterday, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia issued a nationwide injunction against the enforcement of Executive Order (EO) 14042’s mandate that had ordered federal contractors and...more
12/8/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Employees ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Lack of Authority ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On November 12, 2021, the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed its stay on the Federal Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (VAX ETS) pending what it called “adequate judicial review of the...more
11/15/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Rules ,
OSHA ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
The 490-page Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (Fed/OSHA) Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (VAX ETS) was published on November 5, 2021 and while it was effective immediately giving...more
11/8/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Motion To Stay ,
OSHA ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Late Friday afternoon, July 16, 2021, the LA County Health Department published its much-ballyhooed Order returning a mask requirement to most indoor settings. The order requires masks for all persons, regardless of...more
7/19/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Local Ordinance ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Workplace Safety
Los Angeles County Health Department announced that it will issue an order on July 16 requiring masks indoors regardless of a person’s vaccination status to be effective on July 17, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ...more
7/16/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Local Ordinance ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Workplace Safety
On May 28, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its guidance as it relates to federal equal employment opportunity laws and COVID-19 vaccinations. ...more
6/2/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
GINA ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Yesterday's new CDC guidance that fully vaccinated persons may stop wearing masks and distancing in most settings is a welcome announcement after over a year of the COVID crisis. However, California employers should note...more
A recent lawsuit had many employers on edge after an employee’s spouse contracted COVID and sued her husband’s employer claiming that the employer was liable for tort damages because it knew or should have known that its...more
On April 27, 2021, the CDC issued new guidance for fully vaccinated persons. Fully vaccinated means someone who is two weeks past their last dose of either Pfizer, Moderna or J&J’s Janssen vaccine....more
California’s Labor Commissioner issued a $125,913 fine against a McDonald’s franchisee for retaliating against its former employee who allegedly complained about COVID safety issues before being terminated. The Labor...more
2/24/2021
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fines ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Internal Reporting ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Lost Wages ,
McDonalds ,
Retaliation ,
Wage and Hour ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers ,
Workplace Safety