New COVID-19 Laws for Employers
Today, governor Newsom signed two new bills into law that affects employers in California.New Workers Compensation Benefits Effective immediately, SB1159 includes illness or death resulting from COVID-19 as part of the workers compensation law. For the employee to be eligible for workers compensation benefits due to COVID-19, the following circumstances must be present:1. The employer has five or more employees; 2. The employee has tested positive within 14 days after performing working at the employee’s place of employment at the employer’s direction; 3. That date of performing work must be on or after July 6, 2020; and4. The positive test occurred during a period of an outbreak at the employee’s place of employment (excludes working from home).If both of those circumstances are met, the employee is presumed to have contracted…