Communication

California introduces 'right to disconnect' law during nonwork hours

usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/04/02/right-to-disconnect-bill-california/73175821007

By Emily DeLetter

Anyone tired of answering emails and calls from their boss after work may soon be protected by law in California.

A bill has been introduced in California legislature that would give employees the "right to disconnect" from their jobs during nonworking hours.

Assembly member Matt Haney of San Francisco first introduced the bill, Assembly Bill 2751 in February, which would allow employees to disconnect from communications from their employer during nonworking hours.

If passed, California would be the first state to create a "right to disconnect" for employees. Similar laws have already been enacted in 13 countries, including Australia, Argentina, Belgium, France, Italy, Mexico, Portugal and Spain.

'Right to disconnect' law would help define nonworking hours

If the bill were to become law, it would define the "right to disconnect" as the right for employees to ignore communications during nonworking hours "except for an emergency or for scheduling, as defined." Both public and private employers would be required to create a workplace policy that allows employees the right to disconnect.

It would also require nonworking hours to be established by a written agreement, and would allow employees to file a complaint of a pattern of violation with the California Labor Commissioner, which would be punishable by a fine.

Haney's "right to disconnect" bill has not yet been passed or signed into law, but has been referred to the Assembly Labor Committee to be heard. 

Healthcare

California expands Medi-Cal benefits to all undocumented immigrants

kcra.com/article/california-expands-medical-benefits-undocumented-immigrants/46271277

By Carolina EstradaJanuary 3, 2024

Roughly 750,000 adults between 26 and 49 years old are now eligible for full health coverage.

Calif. —

California recently became the first state in the country to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrants.

Starting this year, 750,000 adults between the ages of 26 and 49 years old are now eligible for Medi-Cal benefits.

Yingjia Huang, a spokesperson for the California Department of Health Care Services, told KCRA 3 this helps those without health insurance get the care they need.

“It provides the full breadth of services whether it be medications, primary care, dental or vision,” said Huang.

The healthcare expansion is estimated to cost $2.6 billion dollars annually.

Who is eligible

To be eligible for Medi-Cal benefits you must:

• Live in California
• Meet income and household eligibility requirements

“It will ask you for proof of income and that could be a W-2, a payment stub of some sort or a letter from your employer verifying your employment,” Huang said.

How to apply

Those interested can apply to Medi-Cal:

• Online
• Over the phone
• In person at a county office

Click here to apply to Medi-Cal.

California Department of Industrial Relations

Minimum wage in CA increases to $16 in 2024. Here's what locals are saying

ksby.com/news/local-news/minimum-wage-in-ca-increases-to-16-in-2024-heres-what-locals-are-saying

By Eduardo Huijon Jr.December 2, 2023

The current minimum wage in California is $15.50.

However, the California Department of Industrial Relations says the hourly wage will increase to $16 on January 1, 2024.

Some community members are hopeful the increase will make a difference.

“Yes, I am thankful. But still, it does matter that that bottom line comes up because we all can survive,” said Jennifer Gosnell, San Luis Obispo resident. “I mean it’s hard out there. Especially here in San Luis Obispo. It’s really expensive.”

“I think the 50 cents are going to make a difference for anyone who’s living paycheck to paycheck,” said Mekayla Martin, San Luis Obispo resident. “Any increase in payment is going to be helpful, as long as rent doesn't increase, food doesn't increase, gas doesn’t increase. If everything stays the same that will be ok.”

The district manager for Mother’s Tavern, Kolton Schooley, said that they start their new employees at the minimum wage.

Providing a livable wage to his employees is important to him.

“I think it’s really important for especially local businesses and bigger businesses to be providing a livable wage for our employees, making sure that things like cost of living increase, all of that is constantly going up and being able to match pay that gives our employees a liveable wage is really important to us as a company,” said Kolton Schooley, Mother’s Tavern district manager.

Employees at Mother’s Tavern have the opportunity to get their wages increased over time after an evaluation.

“We have a lot of students and parents that work for us so making sure that they’re being able to provide for their situations in life is really important,” said Brandi Bryant, Mother’s Tavern District Manager.

Some locals have acknowledged that fast-food establishments in California will have an even higher minimum wage.

“I’ve heard that fast-food chains like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Jack in the Box, could be paying a minimum wage of $20 an hour,” said Javier Gonzalez, San Luis Obispo resident. “That raise could immensely help those who have a lower paying wage in the workforce.”

AB 1228, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2023, raised the minimum wage for some fast-food workers to $20 an hour. That goes into effect in April 2024.

The California Department of Industrial Relations says if your employer is not paying the minimum wage, workers can either file a wage claim with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement or file a lawsuit in court against the employer to recover the lost wages.

ADUs

In California, You Can Now Sell Your ADU

dwell.com/article/california-assembly-bill-1033-sell-your-adu-backyard-house-ab18999c

October 17, 2023

By Anjulie Rao

In recent years, cities across California have turned to backyards to increase housing stock. After pre-approving plans of architect designed accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in 2021, earlier this year, Los Angeles rolled out a free version to make it even easier to build a backyard home, whether as an in-law unit or rental.

This week, California passed legislation—Assembly Bill 1033—that now allows homeowners to sell an ADU built on their property, allowing them to leverage existing equity.

Los Angeles company Cover builds customizable prefab ADUs.

Courtesy of Cover

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the bill requires cities to opt into the program. Property owners in participating cities will then be able to sell their ADU following the same rules as a condominium, namely that homeowners will need to notify utility providers and form a homeowners association for property maintenance. Taxes would be paid separately. 

The legislation could be a major benefit to senior citizens on a fixed income who often can’t afford to move, whether because of high interest rates or capital gains taxes incurred by selling a long-time home. The "typical homeowners [adding ADUs] are retirees who have paid off their mortgage," Meredith Stowers, a San Diego loan officer specializing in ADUs, tells the Times. Individuals living on social security could sell their ADU, or downsize by building one to live in, and sell their home.

In Seattle, where homeowners can already sell their ADUs as condos, those units sold at lower prices than single-family counterparts. A report by the City of Seattle cited by the Times provides a short snapshot of 14 properties: each sold at between $500,000 and $800,000. While the bar for affordability is low—one 748-square-foot property included in the report sold for $610,000 in 2022—the legislative move will expand options for Californians, benefiting longtime homeowners and those interested in becoming one. 

The Delete Act

California’s Delete Act lets consumers make one request to delete personal data

theverge.com/2023/10/11/23912548/california-delete-act-personal-data-single-request-online-data-brokers

By Wes DavisOctober 11, 2023

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Delete Act yesterday, making it possible for Californians to either ask data brokers to delete their personal data or forbid them to sell or share it, with a single request. Right now, Californians have similar rights under a 2018 state law, but they had to ask each company individually, and that’s a tall order given the almost 500 data brokers operating in the state.

The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) must create a way for people to make this request by January 1st, 2026. The CPPA was established in 2020 by the California Privacy Rights Act.

By August 1st, 2026, data brokers will have to check for and honor new requests every 45 days. After removing the data as requested, brokers can still gather data but will have to delete it at the same 45-day interval. However, since people in the state can make a persistent request to have their data deleted or kept private, they won’t be able to sell the data without permission. Starting January 2028, independent audits every three years will verify brokers’ compliance.

The law reuses definitions of brokers that the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 established, which required businesses to disclose, delete, or withhold from sharing or selling personal data as requested by individuals. Then, in 2020, the California Privacy Rights Act amended the previous law and established the CPPA.

The Los Angeles Times quoted California Senator Josh Becker, the bill’s author, as saying that brokers sell thousands of individual consumers’ data points on “reproductive healthcare, geolocation, and purchasing data to the highest bidder,” adding that “the DELETE Act protects our most sensitive information.”

The outlet went on to quote the VP of communications for the Consumer Data Industry Association, Justin Hakes, as saying that the bill could undermine fraud protections and keep small businesses from competing with the data dominance of large platforms.

The Delete Act reuses definitions of brokers that the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 established. It applies to companies that grossed more than $25 million in revenue the year before and “annually buys, sells, or shares the personal information of 100,000 or more consumers or households.” And it only affects those businesses that make at least 50 percent of their annual revenue from the sale of people’s personal information.

The law considers several alternative scenarios, like joint business ventures, and doesn’t just apply to single businesses that trade in personal data.

Less Sweet

California becomes first state to ban 4 chemicals used in foods and drinks

abc7.com/california-chemicals-bans-food-ingredients-candy/13878922

October 8, 2023

California is now the first state to ban four chemicals used in well-known candies and other foods and drinks because of their link to certain health problems.

The Golden State is becoming a little less sweet.

California on Saturday became the first state to ban four chemicals used in well-known candies and other foods and drinks because of their link to certain health problems - including cancer.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law banning the red dye No. 3 chemical used as food coloring for products like Peeps, the marshmallow treat most associated with Easter. The chemical has been linked to cancer and has been banned from makeup for more than 30 years.

The law also bans brominated vegetable oil, which is used in some store brand sodas, and potassium bromate and propylparaben, two chemicals used in baked goods.

Newsom said in a signing statement that the additives addressed in the bill are already banned in various other countries. All four chemicals are already banned in foods in the European Union.

"Signing this into law is a positive step forward on these four food additives until the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews and establishes national updated safety levels for these additives," Newsom's statement said.

Just Born Inc., the company that makes Peeps, has said it has been looking for other dye options for its products.

The bill was authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat from Los Angeles.

"The Governor's signature today represents a huge step forward in our effort to protect children and families in California from dangerous and toxic chemicals in our food supply," Gabriel said in a statement Saturday.

The law doesn't take effect until 2027, which Newsom said should give companies plenty of time to adapt to the new rules.

Newsom took other legislative actions over the weekend, including a veto on a bill that would have decriminalized the possession and personal use of several hallucinogens, including psychedelic mushrooms.

In a statement, the governor said that more research needs to be done before the state decriminalizes so-called "magic mushrooms."