Opener
On January 9, 2024, the California Department of Health (CDPH) issued an order changing COVID-19 related definitions. These revisions apply to the Cal/OSHA Non-Emergency Regulations, which are still in place until February 3, 2025 and must be followed by all employers in California. The questions and answers below reflect the updated rules and definitions that […]
On February 9, 2022, Governor Newsom signed the new COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law (SB-114), which is retroactive to January 1, 2022 and extends through September 30, 2022. Similar to the previous law that provided COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave and expired last year, the new COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law requires employers […]
State and Federal COVID-19 Leave Laws Are Set to Expire on September 30, 2021 As of the date of this article, both the federal and the California COVID-19 leave laws are set to expire on September 30, 2021 and it does not appear that either the State or Federal legislatures will be extending these provisions. […]
SB-93 was signed by Governor Newsom on April 16, 2021 and is effective immediately. The new law requires certain employers to recall eligible workers who were laid-off for reasons related to COVID-19 if their prior positions become available. Here are the key parts of the law employers need to know: Covered Employers: SB-93 only applies […]
The American Rescue Plan passed and signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021 extends and resets the FFCRA after its expiration on March 31. The extension and reset goes into effect on April 1 through September 30, 2021. In addition, Governor Newsom signed a new COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Act (SB-95) […]
On Tuesday, October 20, Napa County was approved to move to the Orange, Moderate Risk Level reopening tier under California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. As a result, effective Wednesday, October 21, many businesses will be able to expand their activities under the Orange Tier guidelines. Wineries will begin to be allowed indoor tasting, with […]
The terms of the usage of PPP loans were just substantially relaxed by the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 – H.R. 7010. PPP recipients now have 24 weeks (the “covered period”), to use the loan proceeds instead of the original eight weeks and still receive forgiveness of the loan amounts. However, recipients of […]
Today, May 13, 2020, the Treasury Department issued a major revision to its interpretation of the Payroll Protection Program’s requirement that loans under the program be “necessary.” On April 24, it had issued proposed rules regarding the required certification that the “current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary,” and provided a safe harbor for […]
Property owners who missed the April deadline for paying the second installment of real property taxes because of the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for relief from late payment penalties. But to get this relief, you may need to act soon. ALERT: On May 6, 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-61-20, directing county tax […]
On May 7, 2020, Napa County issued an Order modifying the prior Shelter in Place Order that was issued on April 22, 2020. The full text of the Order can be found here, and the updated FAQs are here. Here are the key changes in the new Order: The Order requires wearing cloth face coverings […]
Many of you have continued to have employees work at your facility and others are preparing to re-open and/or have employees return to the workplace. There are many key issues to consider in having onsite employees and we have attempted to address the majority of them below. Note that the specific requirements will vary depending […]
In light of the wide-spread shut-downs and disruptions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, both the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau have recently provided guidance to wineries that are now venturing into the new world of “virtual” wine tastings that occur online. ABC’s latest Notice of […]
On April 24, H.R. 266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, was signed into law. In addition to providing significant funding for health care providers ($75 billion) and testing ($25 billion), the stimulus package revives the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) with an additional $310 billion in funding for forgivable loans. This […]
Over the past forty-eight hours, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (“CA ABC”) has provided additional regulatory relief to licensees, including information relevant to industry members engaged in fundraising in connection with Coronavirus-related charities. In addition, CA ABC and the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (”TTB”) announced that industry members will be permitted […]
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced today, March 31, that the SBA and the Treasury expect the CARES Act programs to be up and running by this Friday, April 3, 2020. You can find resources related to the CARES Act programs on Treasury’s website here, which is updated often and currently includes an application […]
While numerous summaries and reports on the stimulus bill enacted on Friday are circulating, the following are the key provisions in the CARES Act that will impact employers, and small employers in particular. “Small” under the CARES Act includes all business of up to 500 employees in addition to the existing definition of small business […]
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control issued a notice on March 19, 2020 temporarily loosening certain regulations during the current state of affairs. While primarily focused on retailers, there are some potentially helpful provisions that impact alcohol beverage producers, too. A few things to keep in mind. First, local regulations and restrictions may also […]
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA” or “Act”) was signed into law by the President on Wednesday. Prior to the Senate’s vote to pass the law, the House made additional changes to the bill limiting some of the provisions related to paid leave that were required in the original version of the bill. The […]
The ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, including the directive to close winery tasting rooms, is causing significant disruption to California’s businesses. Businesses that have, or are unsure whether they may have, insurance coverage for losses caused by this situation should contact their carriers promptly to inquire into their potential claims. In addition, because there is […]
Since the Governor’s announcement on Sunday recommending the temporary suspension of on-premise alcoholic beverage businesses, including winery tasting rooms, certain cities and counties have instituted “Shelter-in-Place” ordinances, and both the California ABC and the California Wine Institute have issued additional guidance on the operation of alcohol beverage licensed premises, including wineries. Given the various orders […]