FELS Newsletter: February & March 2024
Majority Support Petition Update
United Farm Workers union appears to be filing “card check” Majority Support Petitions under the Agricultural Labor Relations Act at a rate of about one per month so far this year. As these filings indicate that union activity might be ramping up in agriculture in 2024, you need to be ready!
Cal/OSHA COVID Update
Cal/OSHA is advising California employers to follow Jan. 9 California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guide-lines on workplace testing and isolation and workplace exclusion procedures. California employers still must follow the agency’s non-emergency 2023 COVID-19 regulation, which is in effect until February 2025. Cal/OSHA adjusts various aspects of its regulation to conform to applicable CDPH […]
Cal/OSHA Penalties Increased for 2024
On Jan. 1, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) increased penalties for certain violations. This annual increase is required by a law enacted by the California Legislature in 2017 that authorizes increases in certain minimum and maximum civil penalties to make them consistent with federal OSHA’s civil penalties. The increase is based on the […]
Top 10 Pesticide Violations in 2022: Using Violation Reports to Improve Safety Practices
Elizabeth M. Georgian, UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Safety and Health Originally published by the UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety. When pesticides are applied, growers and supervisors are required to ensure that workers handling pesticides—also known as handlers—are protected. Despite these requirements, there are often violations of pesticide laws and […]
On the Road Again: When is Traveling for Work Compensable?
Al Vreeland, Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland & Thompson, P.C. As COVID fears have eased and Zoom fatigue has grown, the road warriors have re-emerged. In-person meetings with clients and customers and work and industry conferences are back in vogue. And with those meetings come the perennial questions about when you have to pay an employee who […]
California Pay Data Reporting Update
California’s pay data reporting portal opened on Feb. 1. Since the passage of SB 1162 (Limon, 2020), California has mandated that employers with at least 100 employees submit a pay data report to the state Civil Rights Department as part of its efforts to advance fair pay. The reporting requires annual submissions detailing pay and […]
DLSE Issues New Notice to Employee Form 2810.5 in Spanish
On Oct. 8, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 636 into law. The new law amended California Labor Code section 2810.5 by adding new written notice requirements with which employers must comply. Under the amended law, in addition to the original written notice requirements of section 2810.5, such as employer’s name, employer’s address, paid sick […]
