The Oxnard Business Outlook is an annual program of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce. Each year we look at a different segment of the economy that is integral to our business community. In the past couple of years, we have focused on healthcare and tourism. In 2018 we are taking a look at politics and “What just happened on November 6, 2018?” A general election campaign debriefing. Our keynote speaker for the November 16 lunch event is Dan Schnur. Dan Schnur is a Professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications and the University of California – Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. He is the Director for the “California Influencers” project, a statewide program in which 60 of the state’s foremost experts in politics, policy and government discuss the 2018 campaign on a regular basis through the November election. He has been teaching courses in politics, communications and leadership at UC-Berkeley since 1996 and at USC since 2004. Dan has also taught at the John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Institute of Politics at Harvard University and George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management. He is the founder of the USC/LA Times statewide political poll. Previously, Dan worked on four presidential and three gubernatorial campaigns as one of California’s leading political strategists. He served as the national Director of Communications for the 2000 presidential campaign of U.S. Senator John McCain and was the chief media spokesman for California Governor Pete Wilson. The Oxnard Business Outlook will be held at the Tower Club, 300 E. Esplanade Drive, 22nd Floor in Oxnard. The event will run from 11:30 to 1:30. We would like to sincerely thank our Title Sponsor, Umpqua Bank for their ongoing support of the Oxnard Business Outlook. Sponsorships of various levels are available, please contact our office for more information or visit our website. Study: One Size Fits All Approach to Independent Contractors Ignores Value to California’s Economy9/25/2018
A wholesale reclassification of workers would have significant consequences for many different sectors in the state’s economy, according to a recent study by Beacon Economics. “Since the nature of, and reliance on independent contracting varies by industry, a one-size fits all policy ignores the complexity and nuance of such work arrangements, and the value they bring to California’s economy,” the study states. As many employers know, the California Supreme Court outlined a new test in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court, No. S222732 (April 30, 2018) to determine whether a worker must be classified as an employee, rather than as an independent contractor, and subject to all the laws governing wages, hours and rest breaks, as well as the withholding of taxes. The Supreme Court replaced a totality of circumstances test that it had created with a decision in 1989 and replaced it with an “ABC” test of three factors, the most significant being that the worker performs work which is not the hiring entity’s usual business. Beacon Economics Executive Summary In the executive summary of its report, Beacon notes that the California Supreme Court decision in Dynamex has the potential to be a “watershed moment” for the state’s economy. The court’s guidelines for determining whether certain categories of workers should be considered as employees or independent contractors have far-reaching consequences in relation to worker regulations and their protection under California Law, Beacon points out. While specifically related to the delivery service industry, the Dynamex decision “will potentially make it more difficult for companies to classify workers as independent contractors in other sectors of the economy. The decision is part of a broader legislative and judicial effort to define and understand the changing nature of employer-employee relations.” Beacon goes on to comment: “While worker classification and ‘alternative’ work arrangements have received widespread media attention with the advent of the gig economy, alternative work arrangements have long been a part of modern economies.” The Beacon analysis aims to shed light on independent contractors and similar alternative work arrangements by:
Key Findings The Beacon study finds that:
The full report, “Understanding California’s Dynamex Decision 2018,” is available on the Beacon Economics website. A message from our CEO - Nancy Lindholm The city of Oxnard is stuck between a rock and a hard place, or perhaps more appropriate, stuck between a California regulatory agency and industrial businesses in Oxnard. The situation is that the city has not updated its wastewater discharge limits in nearly 20 years. The Regional Water Quality Control Board (a state agency) says they have to clean up their wastewater before it is recycled and pumped back into the ground to recharge our aquifers for water storage. Oxnard is building a water recharge facility at the old Oxnard High School campus. When the Chamber first learned about the impending discharge limits changes, the city was on a fast-track timeline to implement the new restrictions. We negotiated a six-month extension to work with our industrial businesses, which the city got approved from the Regional Board. However, those six months are flying by and we have not seen a lot of outreach to those impacted. I have personally met with the city and two different businesses with boron discharge challenges. As I understand it, there is no concern discharging boron into the ocean, but only a trace of it can be discharged through recycled water, which is headed for the aquifer for future use. It's a very expensive undertaking to remove boron from water. The Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) new limits in wastewater will be impacting many more businesses in Oxnard. The city's proposed limits (which need to be approved by city council) are listed as, "Site-specific 'baseline' concentration limits for current industrial users; 1,850 mg/L for future industrial users." We applaud the city for consideration of our existing businesses. The limit of 1,850 mg/L is actually more lenient than our neighboring cities to the east, where the limits are currently around 1,000 mg/L. I'm also happy to report that we have heard from one large manufacturing business in Oxnard that has determined they will be able to comply with the new discharge limits. The Oxnard Chamber will continue to work with city and our business community to assure we can respect the environment and assure our businesses can continue to provide jobs for our residents. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the proposed wastewater discharge limits. Message from the Chair, Stacy Miller Community policing team will meet individual businesses to address issues of concern If you are a business owner/manager in Oxnard struggling with issues related to crime, violence, vagrancy or vandalism, you may be interested in the Oxnard Police Department’s Business Engagement program. Started in 2016, the partnership-oriented program was created to help businesses reduce and prevent crime through police best practices. As part of the Business Engagement program, the Oxnard PD has created Neighborhood Policing Teams. The teams are divided among 11 geographic areas (beats) throughout the city with a community-policing officer assigned to each area. The officers work in their “beats” on specific business and community-related issues. Each Beat Coordinator is expected to be responsive to the needs of the community and works to build relationships with local business owners. The Police Beat Coordinator is “problem solver” with a variety of responsibilities including identifying crime trends and addressing quality of life issues such as homelessness and vagrancy with the idea that building relationships between the police and the people they serve is a great way to reduce and prevent crime. It looks like the Oxnard PD is on the right track. Crime has decreased in the city of Oxnard and this year, Oxnard PD was presented with a prestigious statewide award for its community policing work. Earlier this year, Chief Scott Whitney was quoted in the VC Star as saying: “Community policing is really a philosophy. It’s a way of policing where the department accepts the idea that it is partnered with the people it serves and where police count on residents to communicate, participate and, if need be, serve as witnesses.” You may be surprised to learn that crime prevention through environmental design is a real thing! As part of the Business Engagement program, the beat officers will come to your place of business and walk your property with you, offering small insights and suggestions for changes that can go a long way towards preventing crime. Some of these suggestions may include adding more lighting in strategic areas, trimming bushes that block windows, and my personal favorite, moving the beer away from the front door where it can easily be stolen. “We will come out to individual businesses to get to know owners and managers and understand the particular issues they are concerned about. We also collaborate as Beat Coordinators, sharing information across the beats that may reveal crime trends that we can work to solve,” explains Sgt. Jeff McGreevy, Neighborhood Policing Team Supervisor for the Oxnard PD. It is important that businesses flourish in Oxnard and the Oxnard PD’s Business Engagement program can help businesses deal with their individual issues related to crime, which is a big step in the right direction. Successful neighborhood policing is good for the economy and the community. When businesses are successful, the tax base increases and helps to pay for important quality of life projects and programs that make our city great. If you would like to contact your Beat Coordinator to access these free resources, call Sgt. Jeff McGreevy, the Neighborhood Policing Team Supervisor at 805-385-7600 or 805-797-8021. He can also schedule a custom presentation for your organization, neighborhood group or business regarding crime prevention. Following are brief summaries of the measures that will appear on the November 6 General Election ballot. When the California Chamber of Commerce has taken a position, the reasons for that position are summarized. The CalChamber encourages employers to share this information with their employees. Businesses are within their rights to do so—just remember: NO PAYCHECK STUFFERS, no coercion, no rewarding or punishing employees (or threatening to do so) for their political activities or beliefs. For more guidelines on political communications to employees, see the brochure at www.calchamber.com/guidelines. Note the distinction between internal communications (to employees, stockholders and their families) and communications to external audiences (such as nonstockholder retirees, outside vendors, customers and passersby). For more information on the ballot measures, see the links listed below or visit the website of the Secretary of State at www.sos.ca.gov. Proposition 1 Authorizes Bonds to Fund Specified Housing Assistance Programs. Legislative Statute. Authorizes $4 billion in general obligation bonds for existing affordable housing programs for low-income residents, veterans, farmworkers, manufactured and mobile homes, infill and transit-oriented housing. Placed on Ballot by: SB 3 (Beall; D-San Jose), Chapter 365, Statutes of 2017. CalChamber Position: Support Reasons for Position Proposition 1 will provide much-needed housing, allowing California to leverage federal tax credits and bonds. There will be no cost to the state’s General Fund because the CalVet loan program is self-supporting; the bonds are repaid by CalVet loan holders through paying principal and interest on their loans. More Information www.vetsandaffordablehousingact.org Proposition 2 Authorizes Bonds to Fund Existing Housing Program for Individuals with Mental Illness. Legislative Statute. Amends the Mental Health Services Act to fund No Place Like Home Program, which finances housing for individuals with mental illness. Ratifies existing law establishing the No Place Like Home Program. Placed on Ballot by: AB 1827 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 41, Statutes of 2018. CalChamber Position: Support Reasons for Position Proposition 2 will enable the state to use funding long earmarked for specialized types of mental health and housing services to build housing and keep mental health services in reach for people. Under the No Place Like Home Program, 20,000 permanent supportive housing units will be built, allowing coordinated care of mental health and substance use services, medical care, case managers, education and job training to help people get the treatment and housing stability they need. More Information www.CAyesonprop2.org Proposition 3 Authorizes Bonds to Fund Projects for Water Supply and Quality, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Water Conveyance, and Groundwater Sustainability and Storage. Initiative Statute. Authorizes $8.877 billion in state general obligation bonds for various infrastructure projects and funds improvements to water safety and quality, watershed and fisheries, habitat protection programs, water conveyance, groundwater sustainability and storage, and surface water storage and dam repairs. Placed on Ballot by: Petition signatures. CalChamber Position: Support. CalChamber President and CEO Allan Zaremberg is quoted in the ballot arguments supporting Proposition 3. Reasons for Position California’s environment and economy rely on a clean and reliable water supply. Proposition 3 will provide critical funding that will help create sustainable water management in the state. Bond proceeds will go toward: providing major funding for watershed improvements and better management practices that will improve water quality and supply; safe drinking and wastewater treatment for disadvantaged communities; stabilizing groundwater levels in overdrafted groundwater basins; funding for recycling wastewater; funding for leak detection, toilet replacement and landscape conversion; and repairing the Oroville Dam spillway. More Information waterbond.org Proposition 4 Authorizes Bonds Funding Construction at Hospitals Providing Children’s Health Care. Initiative Statute. Authorizes $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds, to be repaid from state’s General Fund, to fund grants for construction, expansion, renovation, and equipping of qualifying children’s hospitals. Placed on Ballot by: Petition signatures. CalChamber Position: Support Reasons for Position California children’s hospitals provide critical care to children with significant medical needs and it is not possible to set aside money for infrastructure with the current payer mix. Previous bonds enabled the hospitals to build new patient towers that meet 2030 seismic standards and buy new equipment, including medical records systems and new medical technology. Proposition 4 will help the 13 regional children’s hospitals meet growing demand for services and update technology. More Information www.YesOnProposition4.org Proposition 5 Changes Requirements for Certain Property Owners to Transfer Their Property Tax Base to Replacement Property. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute. Allows people over 55 years old, severely disabled homeowners and owners of contaminated or disaster-destroyed property to sell their homes, move and transfer their property tax basis to the replacement residence. Placed on Ballot by: Petition signatures. CalChamber Position: Support Reasons for Position California is facing a massive housing shortage and needs at least 100,000 additional new units a year to meet demand. Proposition 5 could help ease the shortage by freeing up modest-priced and move-up housing for young families. Seniors, who often are on a fixed income, fear they will not be able to afford a big property tax increase if they sell their existing home and buy another one, discouraging them from ever moving. As a result of this “moving penalty,” almost three-quarters of homeowners 55 and older haven’t moved since 2000. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates the initiative would increase home sales in the tens of thousands per year. More Information www.voteyesonprop5.com Proposition 6 Eliminates Certain Road Repair and Transportation Funding. Requires Certain Fuel Taxes and Vehicle Fees Be Approved by the Electorate. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. Repeals a 2017 transportation law’s taxes and fees designated for road repairs and public transportation. Placed on Ballot by: Petition signatures. CalChamber Position: Oppose Reasons for Position The Legislative Analyst estimates the measure would reduce spending on state and local transportation projects by nearly $5 billion annually. Repealing the gas tax would stop transportation improvement projects already underway in every community in California, eliminating funds already flowing to every city and county to fix potholes, make safety improvements, ease traffic congestion, upgrade bridges, and improve public transportation. Passage of Proposition 6 also will make traffic congestion worse, cost drivers and taxpayers more money in the long run, and hurt job creation and the state’s economy. The average driver spends $739 per year on front end alignments, body damage, shocks, tires and other repairs because of bad roads and bridges. Fixing a road costs eight times more than maintaining it. Proposition 6 would eliminate more than 680,000 good-paying jobs and nearly $183 billion in economic growth that will be created fixing California roads over the next decade. More Information www.NoProp6.com Proposition 7 Conforms California Daylight Saving Time to Federal Law. Allows Legislature to Change Daylight Saving Time Period. Legislative Statute. Gives Legislature ability to change Daylight Saving Time period by two-thirds vote, if changes are consistent with federal law. Placed on Ballot by: AB 807 (Chu; D-San Jose), Chapter 60, Statutes of 2018. CalChamber Position: No Position Ballot Arguments For Proposition 7 will end the biannual time changes that medical researchers and economists agree are hazardous to the health and productivity of school children, the workforce and seniors. Ballot Arguments Against Proposition 7 allows for permanent Daylight Saving Time, subject to federal approval. It would be light in the evening in the summer, as it is now, but winter mornings would be dark for an extra hour so children would be going to school in the dark. Proposition 8 Regulates Amounts Outpatient Kidney Dialysis Clinics Charge for Dialysis Treatment. Initiative Statute. Limits amounts outpatient kidney dialysis clinics may charge for patient care and imposes penalties for excessive charges. Placed on Ballot by: Petition signatures. CalChamber Position: Oppose Reasons for Position The CalChamber opposes arbitrary government price controls that do not account for the actual cost of care. Proposition 8 sets a dangerous precedent to apply arbitrary government price controls to other health care providers and businesses. Moreover, the measure could increase costs by shifting treatment from a dialysis clinic to more expensive venues, such as emergency rooms or hospitals. It also could jeopardize the financial viability of clinics, which could lead to closures, thereby reducing patient access to critical care. More Information www.NoProp8.com Proposition 9 Three States Initiative. CalChamber Position: Oppose Removed from ballot on 7/18/18 by order of California Supreme Court. Proposition 10 Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property. Initiative Statute. Repeals state law that currently restricts the scope of rent control policies that cities and other local jurisdictions may impose on residential property. Placed on Ballot by: Petition signatures. CalChamber Position: Oppose Reasons for Position Removing the limitations on locally enacted rent control laws could discourage new construction, decrease the supply of rental housing and reduce the quality of housing available in communities statewide. In a 2016 report, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) concluded that “Rent control will do nothing to increase our supply of affordable housing and, in fact, likely would discourage new construction.” Cities with stringent forms of rent control, such as San Francisco and Santa Monica, have lost large numbers of rental units as a result of rent control. Owners of rental housing subject to rent control are more likely to convert their properties to condos or other forms of ownership housing. This results in fewer homes being available for rent and more being available for purchase. Rental property owners would not be able to afford to adequately maintain their buildings. According to the LAO, “By depressing rents, rent control policies reduce the income received by owners of rental housing. In response, property owners may attempt to cut back their operating costs by forgoing maintenance and repairs. Over time, this can result in a decline in the overall quality of a community’s housing stock.” More Information www.noprop10.org Proposition 11 Requires Private-Sector Emergency Ambulance Employees to Remain On-Call During Work Breaks. Eliminates Certain Employer Liability. Initiative Statute. Makes labor laws entitling hourly employees to take meal and rest breaks without being on-call not apply to private-sector ambulance employees. Exempts employers from potential liability for violations of existing law regarding work breaks. Requires all meal periods be paid, regardless of if they are or are not interrupted. Placed on Ballot by: Petition signatures. CalChamber Position: No Position. Ballot Arguments For California faces disasters too often. Proposition 11 ensures emergency medical technicians are paid to be reachable during breaks to save lives, gives them better disaster training that meets Federal Emergency Management Agency standards and mandatory mental health coverage. In an emergency, seconds make the difference between life and death. Yes on Proposition 11 is common sense. More Information www.Yeson11.org Ballot Arguments Against No argument against Proposition 11 was submitted. Proposition 12 Establishes New Standards for Confinement of Specified Farm Animals. Bans Sale of Noncomplying Products. Initiative Statute. Establishes minimum space requirements for confining certain farm animals. Bans the sale of meat and eggs from calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens confined in spaces below a specific number of square feet. Placed on Ballot by: Petition signatures. CalChamber Position: No Position Ballot Arguments For Confining a baby veal calf, other pig or egg-laying hen inside a tiny cage is cruel. Products from these suffering animals threaten food safety. Proposition 12 endorsers include nearly 500 California veterinarians, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Humane Society for the United States, California family farmers and animal shelters, Center for Food Safety. More Information www.preventcrueltyca.com Ballot Arguments Against Proposition 12 is a reckless exploitation of California’s initiative process that not only harms farm animals, but also puts in grave danger a wide array of existing consumer, animal, and environmental protection laws. The measure is an outrageous sell-out to the egg industry and betrays animals and voters. Californians already voted to ban cages by 2015. This measure legalizes cages until at least 2022. More Information www.NoOnProposition12.org CalChamber Positions on November 2018 Ballot Measures Proposition 1 Veterans Housing Bond Support Proposition 2 Housing and Services for Individuals with Mental Illness Support Proposition 3 Bond Funding for Water Supply/Quality, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Water Conveyance, and Groundwater Sustainability and Storage Projects Support Proposition 4 Children’s Hospitals Construction Bonds Support Proposition 5 Property Tax Base Transfer for Replacement Property Support Proposition 6 Eliminates Road Repair and Transportation Funding Oppose Proposition 7 Conforms California Daylight Saving Time to Federal Law No Position Proposition 8 Regulates Amounts Outpatient Kidney Dialysis Clinics Charge for Dialysis Treatment Oppose Proposition 9 Three States Initiative – Removed from ballot on 7/18/18 by order of California Supreme Court Oppose Proposition 10 Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property Oppose Proposition 11 Requires Private-Sector Emergency Ambulance Employees to Remain On-Call During Work Breaks No Position Proposition 12 New Standards for Confinement of Specified Farm Animals No Position The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce and its political action committee released their first endorsements in the November election. Of the four candidates seeking election to Oxnard city council in District 1, Ken Oplinger's qualifications and positions on issues certainly rose to the top of the list. Ken has a long list of public service on planning commissions and served on the city council in Blaine, Washington. He currently chairs the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board and serves on the City of Santa Barbara Living Wage Advisory Board. He was recently appointed to the City of Santa Barbara Sales Tax Oversight Committee. Ken Oplinger currently serves as the President/CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of the Santa Barbara Region, where he has been since May 2013. He has been leading Chambers of Commerce in the Western US for over 25 years. Ken and his family live near the beach in Oxnard. Voters in District 1 can learn more about Ken Oplinger from his website, www.ken4oxnard.com. The Port of Hueneme has seen incredible growth in the past several years. They are deepening the channel leading into the Port in order to handle larger ships; they are investing in infrastructure at the Port to create more jobs, and they have increased the tonnage in and out of the Port considerably in the past 10 years. Therefore, the Oxnard Chamber has endorsed all three incumbents seeking re-election to the Board of Commissioners of the Oxnard Harbor District (the governing body for the Port of Hueneme). Those three are Jess Herrera, Jason Hodge, and Mary Anne Rooney. The Chamber applauds the good work these commissioners have done during their respective tenures at the Port. By Stacy Miller, Chair of the Oxnard Chamber Board of Directors In case you missed it, a federal bill aimed at attracting private investment was passed at the end of December 2017 (Tax Cuts & Jobs Act). The bill allows the Governor to designate certain census tracts as Opportunity Zones. The good news is that there are three of these areas that have been designated in Oxnard: Rose Park, Colonia and Five Points Northeast. These areas, which were selected by the state and federal government based on areas of poverty, include: the area east of Rose Avenue to the eastern city limits between Highway 101 and Fifth Street, plus an area south of Fifth Street that is bounded by Oxnard Boulevard and Rose Avenue. What this means is that investments made by individuals through special funds in these zones would be allowed to defer or eliminate federal taxes on capital gains; a great incentive for private investment! The designated tracts include a mix of residential, commercial and manufacturing so investors can tailor their investments in these areas. The designation of an Opportunity Zones was hailed by the City of Oxnard as “a tool to stimulate economic growth.” By way of background, the Governor can designate up to 25% of census tracts that either have poverty rates of at least 20% or median family incomes of no more than 80% of statewide or metropolitan area family incomes. There are 3,516 census tracts in 54 California counties that would qualify under one or both of the mandatory criteria, allowing the Governor to designate up to 879 tracts. As census tracts are designed to capture geographic areas of around 4,000 people, more than three million Californians would potentially be located in one of these Opportunity Zone areas. The Opportunity Zone provides investors with opportunities to purchase and rehab properties, start a business or to build on raw land. This is attractive to investors because they can defer, reduce or even eliminate taxes paid on capital gains income by investing in a special qualified opportunity zone fund. It’s a great time to invest in Oxnard! The City of Oxnard stands ready, willing and able to discuss the Opportunity Zone program with interested investors. To find out more, contact the City of Oxnard’s Economic Development department at 805-385-7407. Strong opposition from the California Chamber of Commerce and its allies in the closing days of the legislative session prevented one energy-related job killer bill from advancing and helped secure removal of one of the more onerous elements of an employment-related job killer proposal as well. AB 893: Higher Energy CostsOn August 31, the last day of the session, the Senate Rules Committee failed to garner enough votes to move the newest CalChamber job killer, AB 893 (E. Garcia; D-Coachella). AB 893 was tagged as a job killer because it would have discouraged energy-dependent businesses from growing in California and added new overhead costs for all California employers. AB 893 also created incentives for utilities to purchase out-of-state power to satisfy the mandate, threatening even more California jobs. AB 893 required the procurement of a large amount—4,250 megawatts—of additional and unneeded geothermal, solar, and wind power. CalChamber’s analysis found that this would have substantially increase rates for California ratepayers. In addition, AB 893 would have created a procurement process outside of the current “least-cost, best-fit” competitive bidding process. SB 1300: Harassment/Discrimination Claims Former job killer SB 1300 (Jackson; D-Santa Barbara), dealing with harassment and discrimination claims, was amended on August 20 to remove the provisions from the bill that created a new, stand-alone private right of action for failure to prevent harassment or discrimination. CalChamber remains opposed to SB 1300 because the bill limits the use of nondisparagement agreements and general releases, restricts the ability to summarily adjudicate harassment claims and lowers the legal standard for actionable harassment claims. These provisions will significantly increase litigation against California employers and limit their ability to invest in their workforce. SB 1300 passed the Assembly on August 30, 41-33. The Senate concurred in Assembly amendments on August 31, 25-10. The bill awaits action by the Governor. AB 3080: Last Job Killer Only one job killer remains active: AB 3080 (Gonzalez Fletcher; D-San Diego), which passed the Senate on August 22, 26-12, and is awaiting action by the Governor. The CalChamber has labeled AB 3080 as a job killer because it will create more litigation, significant delays in the resolution of disputes and higher costs for employers and employees. Jennifer Barrera, CalChamber senior vice president, policy, recaps the problems with AB 3080 in the latest CalChamber Capitol News Report video and the Capitol Insider blog wrap-up of the session.
In the video, Barrera points out that if AB 3080 becomes law, “it will prevent employers and employees from utilizing arbitration as a way in which to resolve their disputes and will force all of these disputes into the court system.” Her blog post notes: “AB 3080 has been portrayed as a part of the #metoo movement, but upon review, is much broader than just sexual harassment. It seeks to prohibit and limit settlement agreements, arbitration agreements, and class action waivers for any labor and employment claim. “This includes claims that have nothing to do with sexual harassment, such as meal periods, rest periods, paystub errors, sick leave, etc. It also subjects an employer to criminal liability for any violation of the various provisions.” August 31 was the last day for the Legislature to send bills to the Governor’s desk. For a full overview of the status of major business bills when legislators began their final recess, see the Status Report pages inside this Alert. |