Continue Reading Stone v. Alameda Health System, One Year Later
The Real Reasons Your Public Agency Needs a Section 125 Cafeteria Plan
Public agency employers in California are facing increasing pressure to offer competitive, flexible, and legally compliant employee benefits. But there is one foundational document many agencies still overlook or perhaps do not fully understand—the Section 125 cafeteria plan. Without it, certain popular and tax-advantaged benefits cannot be offered, and agencies may inadvertently run afoul of
What Employers Need to Know about California’s New Reproductive Loss Leave Law
It was Friday July 5, 2013. I was sitting in my doctor’s office. I was desperately hoping I was fine, but had a sinking feeling I was having a miscarriage. The doctor’s office was packed because it was closed the day before. I was anxious, scared, and had a current of emotions coursing through me.
Raines v. U.S. Healthworks Medical Group Rains Down Liability Under FEHA To Business-Entity Agents
On August 21, 2023, the California Supreme Court’s decision in Raines v. U.S. Healthworks Medical Group significantly expanded the scope of potential liability under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) to an employer’s business-entity agents that have five or more employees.
Case Background and Analysis
Plaintiffs Kristina Raines and Darrick Figg brought a class
What Employers Should Know About California’s Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022
This year, the California Legislature passed and the Governor approved the Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 523 or SB 523), a piece of legislation intended to increase the ability of Californians to exercise full control over their reproductive decisions and to expand coverage and decrease access barriers to reproductive health services.
Among other
Tips for Employers to Prepare for a COVID-19 Winter Surge
Does anyone want to hear about the potential for a COVID-19 winter surge? Probably not. Unfortunately, experts warn that a surge is possible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) warns about new immunity-evading Omicron subvariants, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. CDC models show that these new variants, which just a few weeks ago accounted for
Managing Practical and Legal Concerns Related to MPX in the Workplace
Less than two and a half years after proclaiming a state of emergency related to COVID-19, Governor Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency in response to the ongoing monkeypox (“MPX”) outbreak. While the number of MPX cases in California is relatively small compared to the number of COVID-19 cases and the outbreak less likely
Legal Obligations in the Event of a COVID-19 Outbreak in the Workplace
This post originally appeared in January 2022.
In light of the current surge in COVID-19 cases, it is important that employers understand their obligations in the event that there is a COVID-19 outbreak at one of their workplaces.
This blog post is intended to provide an overview of the various statutory and regulatory obligations
Supporting a Mentally Healthy Workplace
It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has had some type of impact on many people’s mental health. On October 10, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized World Mental Health Day, and this year’s theme is “Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality.” The past 18 months have brought forth
The Top 9 Ways COVID-19 Can Affect Your Public Agency’s Health Benefits
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the work environment in many ways, including a significant impact on employer-sponsored health benefits. The past year has resulted in changes to how frequently individuals visit the doctor (or do not visit the doctor), purchase eligible medical expenses, and need dependent care. In response to the pandemic, the IRS, Congress,