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JD, Loyola School of Law, Los Angeles

BA, Boston College

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Counties May be Liable for IHSS Provider Overtime
11/21/2022
LCW Special Bulletin

On November 4, 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Los Angeles County was a joint employer of In-Home Supportive Services (“IHSS”) program workers (“IHSS providers”), rendering the County responsible for overtime owed to IHSS providers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”)....

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Employees Near and Far: Considerations for Telecommuting and Remote Personnel Management
09/22/2022
California Public Agency Labor & Employment Blog

Telecommuting is a wonderful tool. Employees with compatible jobs can work from any location with an internet connection. They gain flexibility through ease of access. Telecommuting can reduce turnover and absenteeism, and modern technology has made remote work increasingly reliable. Yet, like any...

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Special Bulletin: Federal COVID-19 Prevention Guidance Shifts Focus
08/16/2022
LCW Special Bulletin

On August 11, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) published new guidance updating its approach to COVID-19 prevention. The new CDC guidance reflects some of the current requirements applicable to California employers, but it also includes several departures from State...

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Cal/OSHA to Consider Permanent COVID-19 Regulation
07/25/2022
LCW Special Bulletin

The Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) recently published an initial draft of a regulation that, if adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (“OSHSB” or “Board”), would replace the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) which will expire on January 1,...

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CDPH Redefines “Close Contact” and “Infectious Period,” Changing Workplace COVID-19 Prevention Requirements
06/28/2022

On June 8, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) adopted new definitions for two terms that are critical to determining how employers must respond to COVID-19 cases in the workplace: “close contact” and “infectious period.”
The updated definitions will affect employer...

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Practical Considerations for Public Records Act Requests
05/11/2022
California Public Agency Labor & Employment Blog

The California Public Records Act (“CPRA”) strikes a balance between the need for privacy in certain records and the people’s interest in transparent government. The reality of the balance is that it may – and often does – weigh heavily upon agencies that must respond to CPRA requests. This blog...

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Governor Enacts New COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Law
02/10/2022
LCW Special Bulletin

On February 9, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (“SB”) 114 into law. The law reauthorizes COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”), providing paid leave entitlements to employees who are unable to work or telework due to a number of qualifying reasons related to COVID-19. The law...

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The Governor and Legislative Leaders Announce Plans to Reauthorize COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
01/27/2022
LCW Special Bulletin

On January 25, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he and Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon reached agreement on a framework that would provide new COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) entitlements to employees in the state.
While the...

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Cal/OSHA Clarifies Workplace Exclusion and Return-to-Work Requirements
01/10/2022
LCW Special Bulletin

On January 8, 2022, the Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) provided updated guidance concerning isolation and quarantine requirements that apply to employees in employer workplaces. The guidance incorporates a recent California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) update on isolation and...

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CDPH Adopts Shortened Isolation/Quarantine Periods with Unclear Application to Workplaces
01/04/2022
LCW Special Bulletin

On December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) shortened its recommended isolation and quarantine periods for people who test positive for, or are exposed to, COVID-19. On December 30, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) followed suit by partially...

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CDC Shortens Isolation/Quarantine Period
12/30/2021
LCW Special Bulletin

On December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) shortened its recommended isolation and quarantine periods for people who test positive for, or are exposed to COVID-19.  The reason for the change, according to the CDC, is that most transmissions of SARS-CoV-2 appear to...

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Key Points for HR and Risk Managers on Addressing COVID-19 in the Workplace
12/21/2021
California Public Agency Labor & Employment Blog

Over the last two years, Human Resources professionals and Risk Managers have contended with a host of novel issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog post presents a broad overview of some of the more prominent issues related to COVID-19 in an effort to provide some clarity and perspective...

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New Federal Restrictions for International Travel
12/03/2021
LCW Special Bulletin

On December 2, 2021, President Biden announced new international travel restrictions following the emergence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The announcement is part of the Administration’s plan, “New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-⁠19 this...

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Will OSHA’s New COVID Regulation Reach California Employers?
11/17/2021
Daily Journal

Partner Peter Brown and Associates Alex Volberding, Brian Dierzé and Daniel Seitz weighed in on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard in a Nov. 15 Daily Journal column entitled “Will OSHA’s new COVID regulation reach California...

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EEOC Publishes New Guidance on Religious Accommodation Requests
10/29/2021
LCW Special Bulletin

On October 25, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) added a new section on religious accommodations to its guidance concerning COVID-19 and equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and other EEO Laws.”
The...

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What to Expect After the Expiration of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
09/28/2021
LCW Special Bulletin

In March 2021, in response to the public health emergency caused by COVID-19, the California legislature adopted Senate Bill (SB) 95. The bill added Labor Code section 248.2, which required that employers provide COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) to their employees in the event that an...

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New Qualifying Reasons for Tax Credits under the American Rescue Plan Act
08/10/2021
LCW Special Bulletin

On July 29, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced regulatory changes providing new qualifying reasons for tax credits under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Specifically, eligible employers may now claim payroll tax credits if they provide Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) or Emergency...

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The Department of Justice Determines that Employers May Require Vaccinations Approved Under the Emergency Use Authorization
08/02/2021
LCW Special Bulletin

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently published an opinion addressing whether entities, including employers, may require vaccinations for COVID-19 using vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approval process.
The opinion...

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Requesting Proof of Employees’ Vaccination, Confidentiality Requirements, & Use and Disclosure of Employee Vaccination Information
06/18/2021
LCW Special Bulletin

With the recent adoption of amended Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Regulations, and its allowances for fully vaccinated employees, employers must consider how they will manage employees at their worksites and facilities, and whether they will make any distinction between employees who are fully vaccinated and...

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President Biden Approves the $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
03/18/2021
LCW Special Bulletin

On March 11, 2021, President Biden approved House Resolution (HR) 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act, signing it into law.
The Act provides aid to many groups, including aid to local governments through the 130-billion-dollar Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery (CLFR) Fund. The Act also extends CARES...

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Identifying and Addressing the Legal Issues Implicated by Voluntary Employer-Sponsored COVID-19 Vaccination Programs
03/04/2021
LCW Special Bulletin

While most employers have decided against mandating COVID-19 vaccinations, some employers are considering offering their employees vaccinations on a voluntary basis or other ways to encourage their employees to be vaccinated.
When an employer is deciding whether to adopt a “voluntary vaccination...

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