Soon after San Jose passed its supplemental paid sick leave ordinance to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, it issued further guidance regarding the leave. The Director of the Office of Equality Assurance, the office charged with enforcement of the emergency ordinance, has also issued an opinion letter to provide additional information.

The opinion letter addresses…

Late April 17^th, Mayor Breed signed the supplemental paid sick leave ordinance that earlier in the week, the Board of Supervisors had amended and passed. This was the same day that Mayor Breed announced an order requiring all individuals in public to wear face coverings.

The ordinance, like those passed by the…

In recent weeks, San Jose and Los Angeles have passed ordinances to provide supplemental paid sick leave to employees not otherwise covered by the recently enacted federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). San Francisco has a similar ordinance pending. On April 16^th, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-51-20, which provides COVID-19 related…

As California employers continue their efforts to weather this difficult and economically uncertain time, the state is also taking steps to assist California workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced several new initiatives to support California workers who have been affected by COVID-19.

Expansion of Call Center Hours at the Employment …

San Francisco remains at the forefront of COVID-19 related relief to those employees who work within the City and County limits.  Recently, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has continued this effort and passed the Public Health Emergency Leave Ordinance (PHELO).  PHELO is an emergency ordinance set to temporarily require private employers with 500…

As COVID-19 cases grow in California, lawsuits are already being filed against essential business employers, alleging companies did not or are not taking proper precautions to protect employees from the pandemic.  Employers are doing all they can to ensure they are complying with all applicable laws and regulations in these uncertain, historically significant times. With…

Two California cities, San Francisco and San Jose adopted emergency ordinances to expand paid sick leave and emergency Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave benefits.  The ordinances cover gaps under federal law by expanding leave benefits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to employers with more than 500 employees.

The ordinances cover most…

The Center for Disease Control (“CDC”) recently began recommending the use of non-medical masks or “cloth face coverings” to help stem the spread of COVID-19. According to the CDC’s recommendation, cloth face coverings are recommended in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g. grocery stores and pharmacies). The CDC has…