COVID-19 Updates

1. Special Report: Supplemental Sick Leave and Temporary Disability Overlap

   Date Published:

   March 31st, 2021

   On March 19, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 95 into law requiring most California employers to provide up to 80 hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave. The law went into effect on …Read More

2. Employer Alert: California Employers Must Provide 80 Hours of Paid COVID-19 Supplemental Sick Leave

   Date Published:

   March 23rd, 2021

   On March 19, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 95, which extends and expands the requirement for employers to provide supplemental paid sick to employees affected by COVID-19. The law places …Read More

3. Employer-Provided Vaccines and Workers’ Compensation Liability

   Date Published:

   March 5th, 2021

   An employer arranges vaccinations for its employees. A health-care employer provides its employees with vaccinations. An employer encourages its employees to get vaccinated. An employer tells employee…Read More

4. Special Report: Employer-Provided Vaccines and Workers’ Compensation Liability

   Date Published:

   January 14th, 2021

   Register to Attend a Webinar on This Topic — January 20, 2021 at 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Part 22: COVID-19 Update – Vaccines: Employer Mandates and Compensability Employer-Provided Vaccines An employe…Read More

5. Urgent Report: WCAB Issues Significant Panel Decision Holding That Trials Should Proceed Remotely Unless the Specific Facts of the Case Require a Continuance

   Date Published:

   January 13th, 2021

   Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WCAB district offices have stopped conducting in-person trials since March 16, 2020. Beginning May 4, 2020, the WCAB began hearing trials on the cases-in-chief vi…Read More

6. Urgent Report: DWC/WCAB Open District Offices for Walk-Through Settlements Effective Jan. 11, 2021

   Date Published:

   January 8th, 2021

   Since March 2020, to protect the health and safety of staff and the community, the Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) closed the district offices for in-person filing. The DWC has only allowed …Read More

7. Urgent Report: New Executive Order Reduces Quarantine Periods

   Date Published:

   December 19th, 2020

   Two weeks after Cal/OSHA voted and approved emergency COVID-19 regulations, Governor Newsom has issued an Executive Order (PDF) making changes. The changes are intended to relax certain rules to acc…Read More

8. Special Report: The WCAB Prepares Local Offices for Walk-Throughs

   Date Published:

   December 17th, 2020

   On Dec. 15, 2020, the WCAB issued its seventh en banc decision regarding COVID-19, “In Re: COVID-19 State of Emergency En Banc –– NO. 7.” This decision suspends CCR 10789(c) which applies to t…Read More

9. Special Report: Office Of Administrative Law Approves Emergency OSHA Regulations

   Date Published:

   December 3rd, 2020

   The OAL has approved the recently submitted new emergency standards (PDF) created by Cal/OSHA. These regulations are extensive, contain many new standards, and require immediate action on the part o…Read More

10. Special Report: Cal/OSHA’s Sudden COVID-19 Regulation

    Date Published:

    November 25th, 2020

    Cal/OSHA has approved emergency COVID-19 prevention regulations. Upon the expected approval of the Office of Administrative Law, they will become effective by November 30. These extensive and complex…Read More