Model COVID-19 Prevention Program (CPP)
Please find here a model COVID-19 prevention plan from Cal/OSHA. This form allows employers to fill in their own business-specific information.
Entries by Andrea Messina
BHGS Releases FAQs regarding AB 2998: Consumer Products: Flame Retardant Materials
The Bureau of Household Goods and Services posted the AB 2998 document on its website. AB 2998 prohibits the sale and distribution of (among other items) upholstered furniture, foam used in mattresses, and the use of new components of reupholstered furniture that contain specified flame-retardant chemicals at levels above 1,000 parts per million.
“Stand-Alone” REALLY Does Mean Stand-Alone; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Interprets the FCRA
On January 29, 2019, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (covering a number of states and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean) issued a far-reaching opinion that will likely impact the hiring process of prospective employers who conduct background checks on applicants. Read more here.
Legislative Update from BHGS
The Bureau of Household Goods and Services, formerly the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation, has released Industry Advisory 19-01 entitled, “2018 Legislative Update”. This Advisory contains a summary of laws enacted January 1, 2019, that impact the Bureau or its licensees.
California Ranks as No. 1 ‘Judicial Hellhole’ in Nation
From CalChamber California has landed atop the “Judicial Hellholes” list again, according to the latest ranking of the “most unfair” civil litigation courts by the American Tort Reform Foundation (ATRF). Trailing not far behind California are Florida, New York City and St. Louis, Missouri. California was last at No. 1 in the 2015–2016 report, and […]
BEARHFTI will become BHGS in 2019
Effective January 1, the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation (BEARHFTI) will be renamed to the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS). The agency will encompass Electronic and Appliance Repair (EAR), Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation (HFTI) and Household Movers (HHM).
California vs. Trump ‘will be a giant case’ over air rules, could end up in Supreme Court
From the Sacramento Bee California and like-minded states are girding for a legal battle with the Trump administration on whether those states have gone too far in controlling greenhouse gases from automobiles, a prospective case that legal scholars say – barring a last-minute settlement – is sure to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. The Environmental […]
Look in the Mirror for Climate Change
(OC Register) Until the first steam locomotives were invented in the early 19th Century, man could travel as far as he could walk or as far as his horse would take him. Life was dirty, smelly, difficult – and short. Life expectancy was short and human misery was assured. There was virtually no military and […]
Relearning the ABCs: California Supreme Court Adopts New Independent Contractor Test, LaborSphere
[In April], in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court, 2018 WL 1999120 (Apr. 30, 2018) (Dynamex), the California Supreme Court upended the prevailing understanding of the independent contractor-employee distinction under California law. In a ruling that is certain to have wide-ranging repercussions for companies that rely on independent contractors, the Court declined to apply the multi-factor […]
Shaking down manufacturers doesn’t help climate change fight, Sac Bee
California manufacturers are big players in the state’s efforts to address climate change. The largest companies are regulated through a program that will greatly reduce emissions and grow the economy at the same time. The result will be a win-win for jobs and the environment. Continue reading.