2018 Labor Law Changes – What You Need to Do Now
A few weeks ago we sent out our weekly HR Minute and informed our clients and followers of the new laws coming into play in 2018. That blog (https://blog.infiniumhr.com/2018-labor-law-changes/) was just a preview so you knew what was coming. We’d like to now follow-up with a primer on what changes you need to make now and how Infinium Payroll and HR will be assisting it’s clients.
Minimum Wage
The minimum wage for employers with 25 or fewer employees will increase to $10.50 per hours on January 1, 2018. For employees with 26 or more employees, the minimum wage will be $11.00 on January 1, 2018.
The changes occur for hours worked from January 1, 2018 going forward, so Infinium be making pay changes in the system automatically for any payrolls that include workdays past January 1st. (Keep in mind that for employees that are close to minimum wage, we will only make those changes upon your instructions)
Parental Leave for Small Employers
Important new law requiring employers with more than 20 employees to provide up to 12 weeks of protected, unpaid leave to employees.
We will be sending Fed and State posters shortly and this information will be included to satisfy the posting requirements. If you are in the over 20 categories, please contact us if any employee requests leave and we will assist you.
Criminal History Inquiries in Pre-Hire Process
AB 1008 prohibits employers with 5 or more employees from asking about criminal history information on job applications or during interviews at any time before a job offer has been made.
We are providing a generic Employment Application HERE for you immediate download. If you need assistance developing or reviewing your hiring process to be sure you’re compliant, please contact Infinium at info@infiniumhr.com.
Salary History During Pre-Hire Process
AB 168 bans employers from asking about an applicant’s prior salary history, compensation or benefits during the course of a pre-offer interview or applicant process.
Be sure to adjust your interview process and not include questions related to previous salary. Additionally, make sure jobs that you are advertising for include a specific pay range for the position.
Worksite Immigration Protection
AB 450 prohibits employers from giving federal immigration enforcement agents access to non-public areas of a business without a judicial warrant.
This should be an extremely rare event, but if you are contacted by any officials from ICE, please contact Infinium and we will assist you.
Gender Identity Clarification
AB 1556 revises California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act by deleting gender specific personal pronouns anti-harassment, pregnancy disability and family medical leave laws by changing the terms used from “he” or “she” to “person” or “employee”.
Immediately refrain from use of any gender specific phraseology in your communication with employees or potential employees. Also, eliminate the usage of gender specific descriptions even something as simple as M or F on any official documentation or HR tracking systems.
As with all HR functions in your business, Infinium is here to help, so please contact us with any questions you may have. Please contact us before you take employment actions or if you need help with any HR process in your business.