Sweeping new laws ramping up in 2021 will force California businesses to offer employees more help to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, including measures on disclosure of workplace infections, on healthcare and wage replacement, and on job-protected leave to care for sick family members. AdvertisementLegislators managed to pass several non-pandemic workplace laws as well, including one allowing more businesses to hire gig workers. COVID-19 safety(Rose Wong for The Times)As workplace outbreaks of the coronavirus multiplied, so did reports that companies were concealing infections. California’s Division of Occupational Health and Safety, known as Cal/OSHA, adopted an emergency set of COVID-19 standards in November. The difference: For employees, businesses must provide such workplace protections as minimum wage, overtime, paid sick leave, workers’compensation, and unemployment and disability insurance.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 31, 2020 13:02 UTC