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New Laws For 2020: Assembly Bill 685 (California)

 

On September 17th, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 685 into law which requires employers in the state to provide notice to their employees, within one business day, that they might have been exposed to the coronavirus.

There are several key pieces of the legislation that I do want to highlight.  Employers must provide the potential exposure notice to their employees in a manner typically used to communicate employment related information.  The notice itself must protect employee privacy, identity, and personal health information.  The notice is also required to include information about coronavirus paid sick leave and benefits as well as the employer’s implemented (or planned) disinfection and safety plan.

Notably, Assembly Bill 685 goes one step further and also requires employers to report this potential exposure to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (“COSHA”.)  COSHA is charged with issuing citations, shutting down the workplace, and requiring employers to issue notices of an imminent hazard.

I refer readers to the text of Assembly Bill 685 for additional information but this is one piece of legislation to ensure compliance with going forward.


For additional information:  http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB685

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