California Labor Laws and Cal-OSHA Standards Finally Hit Critical Mass

As employers read the first line of this blog post perhaps you are wondering what is the writer talking about?  Here are some facts that every employer in the Golden State needs to realize.

  1. Cal-OSHA laws and enforcement standards have changed so much since 2014 that now every employer in California must have a Cal-OSHA Consulting Firm working with them so that they can continue to be in compliance.
  2. Most of the enforcement officers and the management above them do not feel that an employer could create a Safety Program that would meet all eight of Cal-OSHA’S Standards if the employer had to.  The enforcement teams do not feel that if an employer could write a Safety Program that would meet the eight standards that they would be able to enforce it.
  3. Employers do not talk the same language that the enforcement teams and consulting firms do.  Cal-OSHA also feels that if employers have a consulting firm advising them, it will help keep employers in compliance with the complicated standards.

It is true that most employers do not give the needed attention to compliance so that they are in adherence to the rules and standards that have been set forth.  Most of the responsibility falls on the employer, but some blame can also be put on Cal-OSHA.  While Cal-OSHA has been passing countless laws over the past years they have not given proper notification to the employer or business.  Additionally, their enforcement procedures have not been shared at length with the public, so even if you know the most up to date laws, you might not know how they will be observed by Cal OSHA.

While it may not seem fair, the ultimate responsibility falls on the employer, and it is the business that will end up having to foot the bill for the fine.  Don’t let your company fall victim to the extremely confusing and complicated legislation – get in touch with us today and save thousands in fines!

Areas of change coming to Cal-OSHA in 2017

  • Hospitals must now develop a workplace violence standard.  Do not expect this to stick to just hospitals, I can guarantee you this will be expanding to other industries before long.
  • There is an ongoing emphasis on heat illness and prevention.  Indoor business must now have their own heat illness prevention program, just like outdoor businesses have.
  • Fed OSHA is requiring all state agencies to come much closer to the federal standards which most of the time are more strict.   A perfect example of this is the new repeat offender plan that has just gone into effect.  Call us for more details on this.

California Labor Laws have changed too

Two laws have changed the labor law landscape here in California.

  • California Paid Sick Leave
  • The New Sexual Harassment Standards

Many labor law attorneys had to rewrite their employee handbooks in 2016 because of these two new laws.  Payroll companies have had a very difficult time with the California Paid Sick Leave because their software was not prepared to cope with employers who want to use the banking method or switch the companies vacation time to PTO for the purpose of covering the paid sick days.

In addition, these laws affect employers who only have one employee, this means that every employer in California must now have an employee handbook, regardless of the size of the business.

The good news is California Employer Services can help you navigate the difficult legislation of Labor Law and Cal-OSHA compliance.  Should you have any questions please give us a call, you will be glad you did.