As of January 1, 2021, California has instituted new laws regarding Covid-19, minimum wage, safety, sick leave, and more. Know your rights!
WorkerWageandHourLaw
On January 1, California’s minimum wage (the minimum an employer may pay you) increased to $13 per hour for businesses with 25 or fewer employees and $14 per hour for businesses with 26 or more employees. Be certain you are being paid legal minimum wage. An employer who underpays may be subject to employee lawsuits.
As always, take time to review your employee classification. If you are misclassified as an independent contractor rather than an employee, your employer may be trying to avoid giving you benefits and overtime pay. If this situation cannot be resolved with your employer, you are entitled to recover your lost wages through legal channels.
Regardless of citizenship, construction workers are entitled to certain workplace protections and rights. All workers, including undocumented personnel, are entitled to file legal complaints concerning wage and hour violations as well as workplace safety violations.
Employment,Health,andSafety
As of January 1, employers are legally required to notify employees of possible Covid-19 exposure after someone at the worksite tests positive for the virus.
This law also gives OSHA extensive authority to shut down a worksite it judges to be imminently hazardous.
A new 2021 California law expands your rights to family and medical leave. If the company you work for has five or more employees, you are now entitled to a job-protected 3 months of unpaid leave for major life events such as the birth of a child and major health problems. In order to qualify for these benefits, an employee must have worked for the company for at least 1250 hours over the previous 12 months. Both parents of a newborn who work for the same company qualify for the 12-week leave.
Leave has also been expanded for victims of crime or abuse that has caused mental or physical injury. A company with 25 or more employees must now provide time off work for psychological counseling, medical attention, or participation in safety planning.
In addition, new rules apply to employee use of sick days. As of the first of the year, employees may use their sick days for any reason they deem necessary. Businesses no longer have the power to deny employees use of their sick days on any grounds.
Know your rights!