New CA Laws for COVID-19 Reporting and Workers Compensation Insurance

The State of California and Governor Newsom has recently moved on some legislation revolving around COVID-19 reporting and Workers Compensation Insurance. These new bills will impact every business sector including the hospitality industry, so here is a quick rundown on the bills and what they could mean for you and your operations.

Assembly Bill 685: COVID-19 Reporting

Assembly Bill 685 will require employers to provide written notice to all employees who were at the same worksite as an individual who is ordered to self-isolate or has tested positive for COVID-19. Employers must give the notice within one business day of finding out the employee has tested positive or is required to self-isolate.

This will likely cause some ripples amongst your workforce so it is important you have the right people in place to alert the staff and deal with any fallout and scheduling issues that will arise.

Notify Your Local Public Health Agency

In case of an outbreak, employers, most notify their local public health agency within 48 hours and provide documentation on how they plan to keep the workplace safe and clean.

Worker’s Compensation Insurance for employees infected by COVID-19

The second bill is meant to ensure that those infected by COVID-19 are automatically eligible for Worker’s Compensation Insurance. We are currently unclear on how this will impact current policyholders, but it is likely policies will need to be adjusted and rates will presumably increase.

These new bills will present challenges for CA business owners. The bills are set to go into law in January 2021 so there are still a few months to decipher the exact compliance strategies needed. It is crucial to have the right team in place to help navigate these issues.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more please reach out, FLORES is here to advise and strategize ways to achieve positive business results even amongst ever-changing regulations.