MICHAEL SULLIVAN & ASSOCIATES BLOG

Thanks to all of you who visited our booth at the CCWC Annual Conference to say hello, participate in our raffle, and pick up some free resources. Our happy hour at Splitsville was a lot of fun and it was great to catch up with colleagues and clients over cocktails, food, and bowling. Mark your calendars to join us next year on June 12, 2024!

If you'd like to join MS&A at one of our upcoming events, just follow us on one of our social media channels--we're on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We'd love to have you attend one of our events!

May was a busy month for Team Rhino! We had a lot of fun events last month, including an evening watching the Padres and Giants play at Petco Park, a lobster feast hosted by the Yorba Linda Sunrise Rotary, and an afternoon spent improving our swings at Top Golf! Michael Sullivan & Associates was also very active at last month's CAHR 2023 Conference, hosting a memorable happy hour at Gladstone's, a booth with free resource materials and prize drawings, and the most recent chapter Eric and Tara's excellent "Building Airplanes in Flight" ongoing session.

If you'd like to join MS&A at one of our upcoming events, just follow us on one of our social media channels--we're on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We'd love to have you attend one of our events!

Date & Time: June 14th, 2023 - 11:00 AM - 12:00PM
Register at: msa.news/06-14-23-webinar

California employers are not strangers to the ever-evolving minefield of compliance exposure under our unique employee-friendly state laws. Join employment law trial attorney Eric De Wames on June 14th, for an attorney’s perspective on key trends and common pitfalls in the wage and hour world. Get up to speed on the latest trends and strategies to avoid litigation exposure and defend claims when they arise. Attendees will obtain insights on pros and cons to arbitration agreements, PAGA action trends, and compliance suggestions to avoid exposure.

Space is limited, so register today!

PIHRA's 2023 California HR Conference was a resounding success! It was great to spend time with our valued clients, co-workers, and colleagues.

MS&A Managing Partner, Eric De Wames, and PIHRA President, Tara Fournier, presented the latest installment of their ongoing session "Building Airplanes in Flight (episode 9)" on Day 2 of the conference. Their session was a crowd favorite, offering insights into creating a healthy workplace environment while maintaining compliance with California's strict employment laws. MS&A's Happy Hour at Gladstone's was another highlight of the conference. Thank you to everyone who joined us and made it such a memorable evening! Thanks as well to those who stopped by our booth to say hello and learn more about the firm. We hope we’ll see you in the fall at PIHRA’s CELU23!

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ended the COVID-19 state of emergency in California. While it was in effect, however, the workers' compensation system was subject to numerous changes and disruptions. The Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) moved toward remote hearings, and Gov. Newsom issued an executive order extending specified time limits established in the Labor Code and administrative regulations.

PIHRA's 2023 California HR Conference (CAHR) is coming up soon! Michael Sullivan & Associates is a proud sponsor of the event, which is being held at the Long Beach Convention Center from May 8th to May 10th. Be sure to stop by our booth (#120) to say hello! There will be free resource materials and goodies available for conference attendees, as well as two raffle prizes, so be sure to bring your business cards.

On March 22, 2023, the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) issued its ninth, and possibly final, en banc decision regarding COVID-19, “In Re: COVID-19 State of Emergency En Banc –– No. 9.” Because Governor Newsom terminated the state of emergency in response to COVID-19 as of Feb. 28, 2023, the WCAB announced that it was rescinding all remaining en banc decisions which had temporarily suspended specific WCAB Rules of Practice and Procedure, effective as of the date of the decision. Specifically, the WCAB announced the following decisions were rescinded:

Generally, an employer must deny a claim within 90 days to avoid a presumption that it's compensable. Labor Code 5402(b)(1) states, "If liability is not rejected within 90 days after the date the claim form is filed under Section 5401, the injury shall be presumed compensable under this division." Once the presumption attaches, it can be rebutted only by evidence that could not have been obtained with the exercise of reasonable diligence within the 90-day period. (SCIF v. WCAB (Welcher) (1995) 60 CCC 717.)