Leaves, Disability and Unemployment

February 2, 1015 by Beeson Tayer & Bodine

Paid Sick Leave – AB 1522 (Gonzalez)
Starting July 1, 2015, this law will require many California employers to provide at least three paid sick leave days per year. The law exempts employers whose employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that provides paid sick leave, and includes an exemption specifically for construction industry employees whose CBA expressly waives entitlement to sick leave.

Physician’s Assistants May Now Certify Disability – SB 1083 (Pavley)
Senate Bill 1083 authorizes physician assistants to certify disability after a physical examination has been performed by the assistant under supervision of a physician or surgeon. The Employment Development Department (“EDD”), the state agency tasked with administering temporary disability insurance benefits, must implement these changes by January 1, 2017.

Unemployment Insurance Appeals Deadline Extended – SB 1314 (Monning)
This bill extends the deadline to appeal unemployment insurance benefit determinations by the EDD from twenty days to thirty days, as of July 1, 2015.

Unemployment Forms and Eligibility – AB 1556 (Perea)
This bill requires EDD to make forms and information on its web site related Unemployment Insurance and State Disability available in the seven most commonly used languages. The new law also prohibits EDD from scheduling redetermination of eligibility and thus halting unemployment benefits, for any week that an individual is participating in a training or education program.

Voluntary Disability Program – AB 2733 (Committee on Insurance)
Existing law allows for the creation of a voluntary employee disability benefits plan for disability insurance and paid family leave to be offered instead of the mandatory State plan coverage. The law was set to expire on January 1, 2015, and this bill extends it indefinitely.

Back to full list of 2015 Legislative Updates

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