California Small Business Association

AB 2716 – Ma: Employment: paid sick leave: This bill would provide that an employee who works in California for 7 or more days is entitled to paid sick days which shall be accrued at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. An employee would be entitled to use accrued sick days beginning on the 90th calendar day of employment. The bill would require employers to provide paid sick days for diagnosis, care, or treatment of health conditions of the employee or an employee's family member, or for leave related to domestic violence or sexual assault. An employer would be prohibited from discriminating or retaliating against an employee who requests paid sick days.

SB 1192 – Margett: Employment: meal and rest periods: This bill would provide that the payment to the employee for failure to provide a mandated meal or rest period is a statutory penalty and does not constitute additional wages to the employee. The bill also would clarify that an employer provides a meal or rest period by making one available to the employee without interfering with its use.

SB 1283 – Harman: Employment: wages: discharged employee: If an employer discharges an employee, this bill would allow an employer to make wages available to the employee no later than 6 hours after the start of the unit's next regular workday, or to deliver the wages no later than 24 hours after the start of the unit's next regular workday.

SB 1490 – Padilla: Employment: independent contractors:
This bill would require a person employing labor to provide to an individual hired as an independent contractor a form that includes a notice that the individual has been hired as an independent contractor, a statement explaining the impact that the individual's status as an independent contractor has on his or her tax obligations and eligibility for labor and employment protections, and a notice that the individual may request a written determination from the Employment Development Department as to whether the individual is an independent contractor or employee.

SB 1539 – Calderon: Meal periods: This bill would revise the statutory requirements for the provision of meal periods to specify that the requirements apply only to employees subject to the meal period provisions of an order of the IWC. The statutory requirements for providing the meal periods would be revised to specify that a meal period based on working more than 5 hours in a workday is required to be provided before the employee completes 6 hours of work, unless the existing waiver provision is invoked. Also permits the employer and employee to agree to waive either the first or the 2nd meal period if the employee otherwise is entitled to 2 meal periods. The bill also would specify conditions under which on-duty meal periods are permitted rather than meal periods in which the employee is relieved of all duty.

SB 1661 – Kuehl: Unemployment compensation: Proposes to increase the cost of doing business for small employers by creating a new eligibility opportunity for employees to receive Unemployment Insurance benefits.

Legislative Bills