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Cal/OSHA Changes and How CalChamber is Responding

Recognizing the sweeping nature of Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards and the breadth of the challenge to organizations in complying with requirements in the short timeframe allowed, CalChamber has requested Cal/OSHA make changes to the Standards and extend an enforcement grace period to employers. 

In a letter to Cal/OSHA, CalChamber has highlighted areas of particular concern to employers, urged review of the Standards, and offered improvement suggestions for them. According to the Chamber, areas of particular concern include: 

• Employer testing obligations, including employee refusal to test, testing during working hours, and the difficulty in finding testing materials or locations generally. 
• Employer obligations to maintain earnings and exclude essential workers from the workplace. 
• Employee and employer rights regarding investigating COVID-19 status, including the inter-relation of the California Consumer Privacy Act. 

The Grace Period and Beyond 

The requested grace period ends January 15, 2021. 

Cal/OSHA plans an advisory meeting in January to discuss either changes to the Emergency Temporary Standards or to review the expected forthcoming FAQ. 

Additionally, CalChamber expects the Cal/OSHA Standards Board will hear testimony at its March meeting. 

For the full read, see CalChamber’s HR Watchdog. 

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