Leave of Absence, New & Old – Continue to Cause Employers Heartburn.
Leave of Absence, New & Old – Continue to Cause Employers Heartburn
Speaker Spotlight with William Betley of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
Understanding new leave of absence laws and their interaction with existing leave laws is critical.
The state of California has numerous complex leave of absence laws set in place to assure job protection. Now more than ever, especially with the significant expansion of the CFRA, is it essential for HR professionals in 2021 to properly manage, classify and document LOA in their organization.
Now that SB 1383 is in effect as of January 1, 2021, CFRA applies to many more employers. Small businesses with employees as few as five, are responsible for providing, navigating and monitoring leaves of absence. In addition, an employee is now eligible for CFRA protected leave to care for siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, adult children, and parent-in-laws who are seriously ill.
Employers must be prepared and understand how all the leave pieces interconnect.
Stay on top of the new, old and emergency leave options currently available to your employees by registering for the 2021 California Employment Law Update by PIHRA and help minimize your organization’s exposure to litigation.
We’re looking forward to William Betley’s presentation at CELU21 on LOA. With over 35 years of experience, William’s practice areas include labor & employment litigation, trials, and workplace training. He is also the Chairman of the Inland Valleys Employer Advisory Council and he is the editor of that organization’s Employment Newsletter.
We interviewed William to give you a preview of his 2021 California Employment Law update session titled, “Leave of Absence, New & Old – Continue to Cause Employers Heartburn.“
PIHRA: With so many new leave laws enacted, including emergency leaves, what is one of the biggest LOA challenges HR professionals will encounter in 2021.
William Betley: Some of the biggest challenges for HR professionals regarding the new leave laws will be in properly classifying those various leaves, completing the correct documents related to a particular leave, charting out the various leaves (particularly those that may run concurrently or go back to back) and dealing with leaves that extend beyond the time limits established within each particular leave limit.
PIHRA: Without going into too much detail, what are the key changes that will be made to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) at the start of 2021 that every HR professional should know?
William Betley: The lower employee threshold (from 50 to 5) which subjects significantly more employers to the requirements of the CFRA and the expansion of type of relatives that employees can care for concerning a serious health condition.
PIHRA: How do both small and large employers navigate hiring individuals to cover extended absences protected by the new leave laws especially with the expansion of the definition of “family member”.
William Betley: The CFRA creates a job protected status for those employees on leave within the time period established by that legislation. The employee on leave is also entitled to the continuation of the same health benefits that he or she was receiving prior to the initiation of the leave. Because the employer requirements have been lowered from 50 employees to 5 employees, the size of the employer is less important than in past years.
PIHRA: How do you plan on structuring your CELU21 presentation so that attendees fully comprehend the complexities of the various new leave laws.
William Betley: By providing concrete, real life examples of the various leave laws in practice, potential traps for an unwary HR Professional and by discussing the history of the various laws in order to demonstrate the changes and legislative thinking behind those changes.
Confidently navigate employment law in 2021
Since we’re virtual this year, register now and experience the 2021 California Employment Law Update by PIHRA from anywhere you want.
About William Betley Presenter at the 2021 California Employment Law Update by PIHRA
William Betley practices in all areas of employment law, including unlawful harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, employee classification, and wage and hour. He also counsels and represents architects, engineers and subcontractors in all phases of construction planning, development, negotiation and litigation.
Mr. Betley is a frequent speaker on numerous employment issues, such as unlawful harassment, disability discrimination, leaves of absence workplace violence, employment handbooks and hiring and firing issues.Mr. Betley was admitted to practice law in California in 1984. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, Inland Valleys Employer Advisory Council, Orange County Employer Advisory Council, California Chamber of Commerce, Society for Human Resources Management, Professionals in Human Resources Association, Orange County Bar Association, Building Industry Association, and Home Builders Council.
Mr. Betley is listed in the National Registry of Who’s Who for Attorneys in the United States.