As the August 31^st deadline approaches for the California Legislature to pass bills, there are a number of significant employment bills, including many dealing with COVID-19 issues, being considered. These include bills that would:

• Expand the CFRA to apply to employers with five or more employees and expand the family members for whom leave could be taken due to a serious medical condition (SB 1383);
• Expand workers’ compensation coverage, including to presume employees who contract COVID-19 are covered (AB 664/SB 1159/AB 196);
• Amend AB 5, including expanding the exempted professional services and industries (AB 2257);
• Require employers to notify public agencies and co-workers following a COVID-19 exposure (AB 685);
• Require larger employers to annually submit “pay data reports” to the DFEH (SB 973);
• Require California corporations to have directors from “underrepresented communities” (AB 979);
• Require employers provide 10 days of bereavement leave (AB 2999);
• Add human resources professionals and supervisors to the list of “mandated reporters” for child abuse purposes (AB 1963);
• Extend for an additional year the “employment” exemptions from the California Consumer Privacy Act (AB 1281);
• Expedite the process for the DIR to approve “work sharing plans” submitted by employers in lieu to layoffs (AB 1731);
• Impose new notice requirements for H2-A employers related to emergency or disaster declarations (SB 1102).