Bay Area Live Seminars Start Next Week

It’s time for our 2013 visit to the Bay Area, and we are looking forward to seeing some familiar faces!

We start on January 23rd in San Jose with two days of seminars:

• Wednesday; HR 101: Intro to HR Administration
• Thursday; HR 201: 2013 California Labor Law Update (8:30 a.m.)
  Classifying and Paying Exempt Employees in California (1:00 p.m.) 

We will finish up in Emeryville on January 25th:

• Friday; HR 201: 2013 California Labor Law Update 

We will cover lots of new legislation in our HR 201 — everything from arbitration to workers’ compensation, as well as the new personnel records requirements. Join us to find out what’s new in employment law in 2013.

Erika Frank and Susan Kemp

Download CalChamber's white paper for a summary of the new employment laws for 2013.

Just Added: Intensive Seminar on Amended PDL and Disability Discrimination Regulations

Separate pregnancy disability leave (PDL) and disability discrimination regulations took effect on December 30, 2012.

Even if you’ve reviewed the significant changes, you probably have compliance questions:

• How do you apply the new laws to your workplace situations? 
• What’s now considered reasonable accommodation?
• How should you handle pregnancy leave requests? 

CalChamber’s half-day, live seminar on Friday, February 15, in Sacramento covers the amended regulations in detail, and their impact on employers and employees.

Special guest presenter Jennifer Brown Shaw, founding partner of Shaw Valenza LLP and innovative trainer on employment law topics, joins CalChamber employment law experts Erika Frank and Susan Kemp for an interactive, enlightening discussion.

Learn regulation specifics and pointers, and get the guidance you need as new rules in these challenging compliance areas are applied to the most common HR scenarios.

Seminar: Guidelines for New PDL and Disability Discrimination Rules
Date: Friday, February 15, 2013
Time: 8:30 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.
Where: Sacramento
Cost: $189 Nonmembers; $151.20 Preferred/Executive Members

 

Update: Amended Disability Regulations Approved

On December 26, 2012, the Office of Administrative Law approved the Fair Employment and Housing Commission’s disability regulations. The regulations become effective on December 30, 2012.

The text of the regulations is identical to the version adopted by the FEHC on December 18, 2012. A copy of the approved disability regulations can be found here.

The changes to the disability regulations include:

• An expansion of the definitions of “mental” and “physical” disability 
• Clarification of what evidence might be used to show that a particular function is “essential” to a job 
• A description of the interactive process and obligations of both the employer and the employee or job applicant 
• A description of what constitutes a reasonable accommodation and specific examples, including a discussion of when a leave of absence might be an appropriate accommodation 

The amendments to the disability regulations are separate from the recently approved amended pregnancy regulations. The amended PDL regulations also take effect on December 30, 2012.

Keep your eye on HRCalifornia, which will be updated at the first of the year with an expanded discussion of these regulations.

Gail Cecchettini Whaley, CalChamber Employment Law Editor/Staff Counsel

CalChamber customers can get an expanded discussion of the disability regulations and the pregnancy disability leave regulations and their impact on state law in the 2013 California Labor Law Digest.

CalChamber’s employment law experts held a webinar discussing the disability regulations, the pregnancy disability leave regulations and the regulations’ impact on employers. The on-demand version of this webinar is now available.

December 18: Important Webinar on Amended PDL Regulations

California employers with five or more employees must make pregnancy disability leave (PDL) available to employees.

Recently approved PDL regulations make significant changes to state law and take effect December 30, 2012. The regulations clarify and, in some instances, expand the PDL protections afforded to employees.

CalChamber’s 90-minute live webinar on Tuesday, December 18 will guide attendees through the new PDL regulations and their impact on employers. Special guest presenter Ann M. Noel, Executive and Legal Secretary with the Fair Employment and Housing Commission, and CalChamber’s employment law experts will also review disability discrimination regulations that are pending final approval.

Early registration is recommended as seats are limited.

Live Webinar: New Pregnancy Disability Leave and Disability Discrimination Regulations
Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PT
Cost: $189 Nonmembers; $151.20 Preferred/Executive Members

California Amends Pregnancy Regulations

Today, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved amendments to California’s pregnancy regulations proposed by the Fair Employment and Housing Commission (FEHC). The amendments take effect December 30, 2012.

The approved pregnancy disability regulations make significant changes to state law, including:

• A change to the definition of “four months”
• An expanded definition of when a woman is “disabled by pregnancy”
• Clarification of an employer’s responsibilities regarding reasonable accommodation or transfer of employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions 
• An expansion of protections to include that it is unlawful to discriminate against or harass an applicant or employee based on “perceived pregnancy”
• Necessary changes to Notices “A” and “B,” which provide information for employees about their rights and responsibilities under pregnancy disability leave (Notice “A”) and the California Family Rights Act (Notice “B”)

Gail Cecchettini Whaley, CalChamber Employment Law Editor/Staff Counsel

CalChamber’s all-in-one 2013 California and Federal Employment Notices poster will contain the updated notices. 

CalChamber customers can get an expanded discussion of the regulations and their impact on state law in the 2013 California Labor Law Digest. Keep your eye on HRCalifornia, which will be updated at the first of the year with an expanded discussion of the regulations. 

CalChamber’s employment law experts will also hold a live webinar to explain the PDL regs and their impact on employers. Space is limited.