Though it is tempting to move on from the pandemic and to try and forget the deadly illness that started it, COVID-19 looks like it is here to stay in one form or another. As updated on February 16, 2024, the California Department of Public Health reported a 7-day weekly average of 1,882 hospital admissions
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
What is “quiet quitting?” After a recent tiktok post went viral, as described below, quiet quitting has been all over social media and the internet. A google search on “quiet quitting” turns up 315,000,000 hits! But what exactly is quiet quitting, where did it come from, and what should public agency employers do about it?
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 tool, telecommuting may cause issues if employers do not handle it competently.
After two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, things are looking optimistic in California. Covid case numbers and hospitalizations are declining and mask requirements are loosening. For many, myself included, this is great news and a much needed “return to normal.” At the same time, however, the pandemic brought some changes to our lives that we
Since the COVID-19 pandemic first began, it has had a multitude of evolving impacts on the operation of the workplace. One impact is the increased number of requests employers are receiving from employees for reasonable accommodations. These increases are attributed to various factors, which have evolved as the pandemic has progressed. At the outset of
This article was originally published in October 2020. The information has been reviewed and is up-to-date as of November 2021. Though the state of California is now opening up increasingly due to improving pandemic numbers, the details included in this blog continue to serve as helpful tips during this time.
I moved to Los Angeles
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,
As the COVID pandemic rages on, employees required to work remotely since March 2020 will continue to do so for at least a foreseeable portion of 2021. While a burden for some, the pandemic has opened endless relocation possibilities for others, allowing some remote workers to visit and stay with family, work from a vacation
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers allowed some of their employees to work from home (i.e., “telecommute” or “telework”) in the interest of public health. We are now entering our tenth month of the pandemic, and working from home has become “the new normal” for many employers and employees. Now, as vaccines