By Andy Katz. UPDATED: March 27, 2020 with more details on new unemployment insurance benefits (incl. from the federal stimulus bill); health insurance for furloughed or laid off workers; tax credits; which jobs are deemed essential; and more.

As COVID-19 spreads, many workers are considering how to protect themselves and their families – while worrying about their work and budgets.

At the time this blog post was last updated (March 27, 2020) the rapid pace of the pandemic has advanced from calls for maximizing social distancing in the general population to mandatory “shelter in place” orders to prevent further spread.  On March 19, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-33-20, mandating all residents to stay at home “except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of the federal infrastructure sectors.”  The Order is in effect until further notice. 

The California Department of Public Health had previously issued “social distancing” recommendations and other guidance to protect public health, urging vulnerable populations including people who are 65 years or older, in addition to people with certain health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and weakened immune systems.  Several County Public Health Departments, including Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma Counties also include people who are 60 years or older within vulnerable populations.  A UCSF Expert Panel advised: “Anyone over 60 stay at home unless it’s critical.”

Assessment of what workers should do to be safe, and the role they could play in helping slow the spread of the virus is beyond the scope of an article about legal rights. However, it is clear from recent advisories that workers have legitimate reasons for concern. Many people want to heed the call of public-health experts to stay home out of concern for the heightened risk of severe complications for vulnerable populations. Understanding how current laws may protect them is critical information to have as workers weigh these important decisions and advocate with their employers for what they need. This post provides an overview of where workers stand as of today, bearing in mind that many advocacy groups, including CELA (California Employment Lawyers Association) and its national counterpart, NELA, are pressing Congress and the California legislature to offer even more protection and much-needed relief to California workers as they try to make the choices that are best for themselves, their families, and society at large. Read on for important answers to frequently asked questions about California workers’ rights in the time of COVID-19.

I’M LOSING WAGES. WHAT WILL HELP?

California Workers Can Apply for Wage Replacement for Disability and Reduced Work Hours

Two state-run programs are available for employees in need of wage replacement during a “Shelter in Place” order, and to support social distancing for their health and safety – Unemployment Insurance (UI) and State Disability Insurance (SDI), both administered by the Employment Development Department (EDD). Governor Newsom’s Executive Order waived the usual one-week waiting period for people who are unemployed and/or disabled as a result of COVID-19.

If an employer closes the workplace due to COVID-19, including as a result of a “Shelter in Place” order, and doesn’t pay or only partially pays its employees, workers can apply for Unemployment Insurance (UI) or, if eligible, SDI. Unemployment Insurance benefits cover approximately 50 percent of wages, up to a maximum of $450 per week, which is taxable.  The Federal CARES Act adds $600 to each weekly benefit check, extends the maximum weeks of UI benefits from 26 weeks to 39 weeks, and allows retroactive payment of benefits for income loss beginning January 27, 2020.  The Act also provides advance payments of a tax credit to taxpayers of $1,200 per adult plus $500 per child.  These tax credits phase out for individuals earning $75,000 – $99,000 or couples earning $150,000 – $198,000. 

The EDD has outlined how self-employed, independent contractors can qualify for UI. State Disability Insurance is only available for independent contractors who have enrolled in Elective Coverage. Workers are often misclassified as independent contractors, and may have the same rights to benefits as employees under AB 5, even if their employer calls them an “independent contractor.”  The CARES Act specifically extends Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to self-employed individuals for up to 39 weeks of lost income between January 27 and December 31, 2020. 

State Disability Insurance eligibility defines disability to include any illness or injury preventing regular or customary work. Benefits cover 60-70 percent of wages up to a maximum of $1,300 per week for up to 52 weeks, and are tax-exempt. A worker must be unable to work for at least eight days, and must submit medical certification by a health practitioner prior to issuance of benefits. Electronic certification options are available for health practitioners.  Applications may be submitted within 49 days of the first date they had to stop working because of disability.

While the EDD hasn’t yet confirmed that applications citing only age-related vulnerabilities will be approved, they have confirmed that people who cannot work due to “having or being exposed” to COVID-19, if certified by a medical professional, can file a Disability Insurance claim.

Older workers who are in an age-defined vulnerable population and who obtain medical certification of their age-related condition as an “illness” may also be eligible for disability benefits, although there is no certain answer to this question yet. When doctors or other healthcare providers are filling in the disability forms, they should consider using “R54,” the International Classification of Diseases code for “age-related physical debility” when there isn’t a more specific condition.

EDD also administers Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits, allowing up to six weeks of PFL at the SDI rate to Californians who are unable to work because they are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19, if certified by a medical professional.

WHAT IF I’M LOSING MY HEALTH INSURANCE DUE TO BEING FURLOUGHED OR LAID OFF?

The Federal and California COBRA laws require employers with at least two employees to offer continuation of the employer-sponsored health plan for up to 36 months at the same monthly rate the employer paid for the premium.  Laid off employees can also choose to enroll in a health plan offered through Covered California, where subsidies available under the Affordable Care Act may offer less expensive coverage than the employer’s COBRA plan.  The Special Enrollment Period to enroll in a plan through Covered California lasts 60 days from losing job-based coverage.  Due to the emergency, special enrollment is open for all Californians until June 30, 2020. 

WHAT IF MY CHILD’S SCHOOL IS CLOSED BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS?

Federal Response, California School Emergency Leave and Unemployment Benefits May Help Some Workers

If you miss work to care for your child after their school closes, you may be eligible for Unemployment Insurance. The Employment Development Department is handling school closure applications on a case-by-case basis, and encouraging claims for partial benefits where the employer is allowing reduced hours, but has not yet clarified whether the usual requirements of being available for work will be waived where the employer does not allow reduced hours. Employees should apply right away since the usual 7-day waiting period for benefits has been waived due to COVID-19.

Once the ‘Families First’ Coronavirus Response Act goes into effect April 1, employees who have worked for a covered employer more than 30 days will be eligible for twelve weeks of leave, paid at two-thirds of regular pay, up to a maximum of $200 per day or $10,000 total. 

Also, under California’s Labor Code, employers with 25 or more employees working at the same location must allow employees to take up to 40 hours of leave per year to address an emergency at a child’s day care or school. However, an employee must still notify the employer in advance.

WHAT IF I GET SICK, OR I NEED TO CARE FOR FAMILY?

State and Local Sick or Medical Leave Laws Offer Protection

Employees who are sick can take accrued paid sick days. How many sick days are available depends on employer policies, although California requires employers to provide minimally three days of paid sick leave and some cities require even more. Employees who work for employers of 50 or more people have more rights and may be eligible for up to twelve weeks of unpaid time off. Employees sent home but are asked to work must be compensated for that work without loss of sick leave.

The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (Lab. Code §§ 245-249, 2810.5) requires all California employers to provide eligible employees at least three days of paid sick leave. Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville also have local ordinances requiring as much as six or nine days of sick leave per year.

Employers who retaliate against employees for taking sick leave that is required by law risk liability for wrongful termination lawsuits. What is clear is that the legally-required amounts of sick leave aren’t enough, especially if a worker is trying to get through a 14-day quarantine, or faces uncertainty with vulnerable members of their household. Workers who are often misclassified as independent contractors have the same rights to sick leave as employees under AB 5, even if their employer calls them an “independent contractor.” Misclassified employees can file claims in court or at the Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).  

For people who work for an employer with at least 50 employees within 75 miles of their worksite, California law requires employers to provide twelve weeks of job-protected leave each year under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) for a “serious health condition” of the employee or a member of their family. To qualify for this leave, the employee must have worked for the employer for at least one year total during their lifetime and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the last calendar year. So, if an employee or family member contracts COVID-19, they are likely to be protected by the medical leave laws. These laws may also protect individuals with compromised immune systems if a doctor takes them off work because they or a family member suffer from a chronic condition.

It’s important to understand that FMLA and CFRA leave is unpaid (although State Disability Insurance may be available).

Additionally, on March 18^th, Congress passed the ‘Families First’ Coronavirus Response Act to provide emergency paid sick leave and emergency paid family leave (read more about this new law here). 

WHAT IF I’M VULNERABLE TO COVID-19?

California’s Disability Rights Law Provides for Reasonable Accommodation

The law requires employers to consider offering work-from-home or medical leaves of absence as a reasonable accommodation under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) for people who qualify as having a disability under the law. This is a case-by-case analysis, but employees with compromised immune systems or who are medically at risk should assert their rights and request the accommodations they need to remain safe.  

California employers with at least 5 employees are required to provide reasonable accommodations, unless they are able to meet a very high standard to prove that doing so would cause an undue hardship.

Legal Aid at Work has a very helpful guide on how to request a reasonable accommodation. The best practice is to submit written documentation of the disability and the need for the accommodation, including a doctor’s note. If that’s not possible given the impacted healthcare system, employees can explain their need for accommodations to their employer and refer to publicly-available information to justify the need for reasonable accommodation.

For instance, the California Department of Public Heath urges high-risk individuals to “stay home as much as possible,” and the San Francisco Department of Public Health urges workers to “telecommute if possible,” and “avoid contact with people who are sick.”

The extraordinary conditions and risks of COVID-19 will broaden the range of employees who qualify for reasonable accommodations under FEHA. Disability under FEHA is broadly construed to mean a physical disability, including a condition that affects the immunological system and limits a major life activity. The law already recognizes that “major life activities” include interacting with others, working, and major functions of the immune system. There is an exception that refers to the common cold and common flu, but there is nothing common about COVID-19, so that exception should not apply.  

The goal of reasonable accommodations is to keep the employee working (and earning a paycheck). So the first possibility to consider is telecommuting. Telecommuting is a reasonable accommodation where it allows the employee to continue to perform the essential functions of their job. For employees who can work via computer, video-conferencing and phone, this is an ideal choice. Employers can refuse this accommodation if letting the employee telecommute imposes an undue hardship on the employer’s operations.  

If a job cannot be done remotely, a last-resort accommodation is a leave of absence, which is an option under the law where “the leave is likely to be effective in allowing the employee to return to work at the end of the leave, with or without further reasonable accommodation, and does not create an undue hardship for the employer.”

Employers cannot have blanket policies refusing telecommuting or medical leaves (or any other possible accommodation). Instead, employers must engage in a good faith interactive process to find an effective reasonable accommodation.

Discrimination or retaliation against a person with a disability, including disciplining them, treating them differently than other workers or terminating them is prohibited under California law. This protection extends to people who the employer assumes or “regards” as a person with a disability. While employers can require medical documentation of a disability and the employee’s limitations, they cannot force employees to disclose a specific health condition or disability.

Federal employees are not covered under California law, but are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act.  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has developed guidance for COVID-19 here. 

WHAT IF SOMEONE I LIVE WITH IS VULNERABLE TO COVID-19?

The California Family Rights Act (CFRA), discussed above, requires twelve weeks of job-protected leave for covered employees caring for a “serious health condition” of a family member.  Up to six weeks of Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits are available through the EDD. 

Employees are also protected under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) from discrimination or retaliation, such as harassment or wrongful termination, due to a known relationship or association with someone with a known disability.  This includes making a request for a reasonable accommodation, whether that request is granted or not.  While no court has ruled yet on the specific issue of whether an employer must grant an accommodation based on a family member’s disability, one Appellate Court considering this issue discussed the possibility that the law “may reasonably be interpreted to require accommodation based on the employee’s association with a physically disabled person.” 

It is highly recommended to review this type of complex situation with an attorney familiar with employment law. 

WHAT IF I AM OR COULD BE EXPOSED TO COVID-19 IN MY WORKPLACE?

Employer Illness and Injury Prevention Programs

In furtherance of its mission to ensure safe workplaces and enforcing requirements for all employers to have an Injury and Illness Prevention Program, Cal/OSHA has issued Interim Guidelines for General Industry and other specific industries, like childcare providers and health-care workers, from COVID-19. These guidelines include actively encouraging sick employees to stay home, sending employees with acute respiratory symptoms home immediately, and preparing an outbreak response plan in the event of an outbreak.

State disability and medical privacy laws generally prevent an employer from asking an employee about their medical conditions.  However, employers can ask for a medical examination or about disability issues if there is a reasonable belief, based on objective evidence, that an employee’s ability to perform essential job functions will be impaired by a medical condition, or that a medical condition will pose a direct threat.  For example, if an employee confirms to an employer they have COVID-19, the employer should identify everyone the infected employee was in contact with during the CDC-identified 14-day period, notify the identified individuals of possible exposure, and could consider sending the exposed employees home for 14 days.  Employers may not disclose the names or personal information of the employee who tested positive. 

For an employee who is concerned about workplace safety, “internal” whistle-blowing is a protected activity when a complaint is made to a manager that identifies facts that could violate Cal/OSHA requirements.  For more serious situations, formal complaints can be filed with Cal/OSHA, and written documentation could assist if the employer disputes that internal whistle-blowing occurred.

An employee may also refuse to perform work that would result in a Cal/OSHA violation that creates a real and apparent hazard to the employee or their coworkers, and may seek back pay for lost wages.  More information on workplace safety standards is available from WorkSafe, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization.  These situations are complex, and consultation with an attorney is highly recommended, because an employer can take the position that an undocumented failure to go to work is a non-retaliatory business reason to terminate employment. 

IS MY JOB REALLY ESSENTIAL?

The State Public Health Officer has issued a list of “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers.” Disability accommodation and workplace safety requirements still apply when performing essential work.  Determinations of which precise businesses and functions are deemed “essential” are made by the California Department of Public Health and County Health Officers, and in some cases local police departments have closed non-essential workplaces.

Worker’s Compensation

Employers are responsible to provide compensation through the worker’s compensation system for injuries arising in the course of employment.

An injured worker who was exposed to and contracted COVID-19 at or through their work can make a claim by completing DWC1 form and sending it to their employer.

Any workplace exposure must be a significant contributing factor to an employee’s injury for a claim to be compensable. Employers frequently dispute whether an injury is work-related. Those disputes are typically resolved by the Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board based on the medical report of a Panel Qualified Medical Examiner appointed by the Division of Worker’s Compensation, likely a specialist in Immunology or Internal Medicine.

If the claim is approved, benefits include temporary disability wage replacement, medical care, and compensation for permanent impairment. Unfortunately, misclassified independent contractors who are employees under the new “ABC Test” of AB 5 (2019) are not eligible for worker’s compensation until July 1, 2020.

More Protections Needed During this Public Health Emergency

Additional protections are needed during this public health emergency. California Governor Gavin Newsom, members of the California Legislature, and the United States Congress have announced plans to introduce legislation that may further protect workers subject to an isolation or quarantine order by a health official from discrimination or retaliation, or offer better wage replacement for people who are in quarantine or caring for family members.  Stay tuned to this post for ongoing updates.

For more information on COVID-19:

Review of Families First Coronavirus Response Act

California COVID-19 Home Page

California Department of Public Health

California Labor & Workforce Development Agency FAQs

LWDA Summary Chart of Benefits

Employment Development Department Coronavirus FAQs

Department of Labor Standards Enforcement FAQs

Department of Fair Employment and Housing Regulations

Legal Aid at Work FAQs – English – Spanish – Chinese

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidance about the ADA and COVID-19

WorkSafe Coronavirus Updates

UCLA Law Library COVID-19 Reference List

By Andy Katz and Mariko Yoshihara

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – Congress passed the ‘Families First’ Coronavirus Response Act yesterday, which provides emergency paid sick leave and paid family leave to many employees, but with significant exceptions.  This Act goes into effect April 1.  The law covers employers with up to 500 employees, but employers with 50 or fewer may seek exceptions from the Department of Labor, and those with 25 or fewer are not obligated to reinstate an employee to their previous position. 

Under the Act, employees are entitled to up to two weeks of emergency paid sick leave and up to twelve weeks of emergency paid family leave. For emergency paid sick leave, employees must be “unable to work (or telework) due to a need for leave” because the employee: (1) is subject to a federal, state, or local quarantine order related to COVID-19, (2) has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19, (3) is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking medical diagnosis, (4) caring for an individual subject to quarantine order, or has been advised to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19, (5) caring for a child, if their school or child-care provider has closed due to COVID-19, or (6) other conditions that the Federal government may specify later. 

If taking emergency paid sick leave to care for oneself, the employee is paid 100% of their full rate of pay, up to $511 per day and $5,110 total.  When leave is taken to care for others or for other qualifying reasons provided under the Act, an employee is paid two-thirds of their full rate of pay, up to $200 per day and $2,000 total.  This leave is in addition to any other paid leave to which an employee is already entitled to.  Employers cannot require that regular sick leave or paid time off be used before, or instead of, using this emergency sick leave. 

The Act also allows employees to take up to twelve weeks of emergency family leave. To qualify, an employee must have worked for their employer for at least 30 calendar days (unlike emergency paid sick leave, which is available to any employee, regardless of hours of work or length of service).  These workers can take emergency family leave if they are unable to work (or to telework) due to a need to care for the employee’s son or daughter under 18 years old if the child’s school or place of care has been closed, or childcare provider is unavailable.  The closure or unavailability of childcare must be due to an officially declared COVID-19 public health emergency (by comparison, emergency paid sick leave is available when the closure or unavailability of childcare is due to COVID-19 precautions). 

When an employee is taking emergency family leave, the first 10 days may be unpaid (generally, the employee would likely take emergency paid sick leave during this 10-day period). After 10 days, the employee is entitled to two-third of their regular rate of pay, capped at $200 per day and $10,000 total.

While the ‘Families First’ Coronavirus Response Act will provide much-needed relief for many working families across the country, millions of workers are left out of the law or are ineligible because of restrictive definitions of family caregiving.  California must act now to fill these gaps and ensure that all workers are entitled to job-protected leave and wage replacement benefits to weather the storm of this unprecedented crisis.

Escrito por Andy Katz; Traducido por Megan Beaman

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – Mientras el COVID-19 se difunda, muchos trabajadores están considerando cómo protegerse a sí mismos y a sus familias, mientras se preocupan por su trabajo y sus presupuestos.

En el momento en que se escribe esta publicación de blog (15 de marzo de 2020), el Departamento de Salud Pública de California y el Departamento de Salud Pública de San Francisco han emitido recomendaciones de “distanciamiento social” que definen las poblaciones vulnerables para incluir a personas de 60 años o más, y personas con ciertas afecciones de salud, como enfermedad cardíaca, enfermedad pulmonar, diabetes, enfermedad renal, y sistemas inmunes debilitados. El gobernador Newsom ha ordenado a los mayores de 65 años y enfermos crónicos que permanezcan en sus hogares. Un panel de expertos de la UCSF aconsejó: “Cualquier persona mayor de 60 años se queda en casa a menos que sea crítico.”

Mientras tanto, el ritmo rápido de propagación del virus ha causado llamamiento a la maximización del distanciamiento social en la población general para evitar una mayor propagación. Sin embargo, en este momento, los Centros para el Control de Enfermedades y CDPH solo recomiendan trabajar desde casa “si es posible.”

La evaluación de lo que los trabajadores deberían hacer para estar seguros y el papel que podrían desempeñar para ayudar a frenar la propagación del virus está fuera del alcance de un artículo sobre derechos legales. Sin embargo, de las recientes advertencias se confirma que los trabajadores tienen motivos legítimos de preocupación. Muchas personas quieren escuchar el llamado de los expertos en salud pública para que se queden en sus hogares por temor al mayor riesgo de complicaciones graves para las poblaciones vulnerables. Comprender cómo las leyes actuales pueden protegerlos es una información crítica que deben tener los trabajadores mientras sopesan estas decisiones importantes y abogan con sus empleadores por lo que necesitan. Esta publicación proporciona un resumen general de la situación actual de los trabajadores, teniendo en cuenta que muchos grupos de defensa, incluida la CELA y su contraparte nacional, NELA, están presionando al Congreso y a la legislatura de California para ofrecer aún más protección y ayuda muy necesaria a los trabajadores de California mientras intentan tomar las mejores decisiones para sí mismo y sus familias. Siga leyendo para obtener respuestas importantes a las preguntas frecuentes sobre los derechos de los trabajadores de California en la época de COVID-19.

¿QUÉ SUCEDE SI ME ENFERMO O NECESITO CUIDAR A LA FAMILIA?

Se ofrece protección por las leyes de licencia medica o licencia por enfermedad

Los empleados que están enfermos pueden tomar días de enfermedad pagados si ya los tienen acumulados. La cantidad de días de enfermedad disponibles depende de las políticas del empleador, aunque California requiere que los empleadores proporcionen un mínimo de tres días de licencia por enfermedad pagada por año y algunas ciudades requieren aún más. Los empleados que trabajan para empleadores que tengan 50 o más empleados tienen más derechos y pueden ser elegibles para hasta doce semanas de tiempo fuera del trabajo, sin pago. Los empleados enviados a casa, pero se les pide que trabajen, deben ser compensados ​​por ese trabajo sin tener que usar su tiempo acumulado de licencia por enfermedad.

La Ley de 2014 de Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families (Código Laboral §§ 245-249, 2810.5) requiere que todos los empleadores de California proporcionen a los empleados elegibles al menos tres días por año de licencia por enfermedad pagada. Los Ángeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Mónica, Oakland, Berkeley y Emeryville también tienen ordenanzas locales que requieren hasta seis o nueve días de licencia por enfermedad por año.

Los empleadores que toman represalias contra los empleados por tomarse una licencia por enfermedad a la cual tienen derecho bajo la ley corren el riesgo de responsabilidad por demandas por despido injustificado. Lo que está claro es que las cantidades legalmente requeridas de licencia por enfermedad no son suficientes, especialmente si un trabajador está tratando de pasar una cuarentena de 14 días o enfrenta incertidumbre con los miembros vulnerables de su hogar. Los trabajadores frequentemente clasificados erróneamente como contratistas independientes tienen los mismos derechos de licencia por enfermedad que los empleados bajo AB 5, aún si su empleador los llama un “contratista independiente.” Los empleados clasificados erróneamente pueden presentar reclamos en la corte o en el Departamento de Aplicación de Normas Laborales (DLSE).

Para las personas que trabajan para un empleador que tiene por lo menos 50 empleados dentro de un radio de 75 millas de su lugar de trabajo, la ley de California exige que los empleadores otorguen 12 semanas de licencia laboral protegida cada año bajo la Ley de Licencia Médica Familiar (FMLA) o la Ley de Derechos Familiares de California (CFRA) para una “condición grave de salud” del empleado o un miembro de su familia. Para calificar para esta licencia, el empleado debe haber trabajado para el empleador durante al menos un año en total durante su vida y haber trabajado al menos 1,250 horas en el último año calendario. Por lo tanto, si un empleado o miembro de la familia contrata COVID-19, es probable que estén protegidos por las leyes de licencia médica. Estas leyes también pueden proteger a las personas con sistemas inmunes comprometidos si un médico los retira del trabajo porque ellos o un miembro de su familia sufre de una afección crónica.

Es importante comprender que la licencia de FMLA y CFRA no está pagada (aunque el Seguro de Incapacidad del Estado puede estar disponible).

¿QUÉ SUCEDE SI ESTOY VULNERABLE A COVID-19?

La ley de derechos de los discapacitados de California proporciona adaptaciones razonables

La ley requiere que los empleadores consideren ofrecer trabajo desde el hogar o licencias médicas como una acomodación razonable bajo la Ley de Vivienda y Empleo Justo de California (FEHA) para las personas que califican como discapacitadas según la ley. Se requiere un análisis de caso por caso, pero los empleados con sistemas inmunes comprometidos o con riesgo médico deben hacer valer sus derechos y solicitar las adaptaciones que necesitan para mantenerse seguros.

Se requiere que los empleadores de California con al menos 5 empleados proporcionen adaptaciones razonables, a menos que puedan cumplir con un estándar muy alto para demostrar que el hacerlo causaría una dificultad excesiva.

Legal Aid at Work tiene una guía muy útil sobre cómo solicitar una adaptación razonable. La mejor práctica es presentar documentación escrita de la discapacidad y la necesidad de la adaptación, incluida una nota del médico. Si eso no es posible dado el sistema de salud afectado, los empleados pueden explicar su necesidad de adaptaciones a su empleador y consultar la información disponible públicamente para justificar la necesidad de adaptaciones razonables.

Por ejemplo, el Departamento de Salud Pública de California insta a las personas de alto riesgo a “quedarse en casa tanto como sea posible”, y el Departamento de Salud Pública de San Francisco insta a los trabajadores a “tele-trabajar si es posible” y “evitar el contacto con personas enfermas.”

Las condiciones y riesgos extraordinarios de COVID-19 ampliarán el rango de empleados que califican para acomodaciones razonables bajo la FEHA. La discapacidad según la FEHA se entiende en términos generales como una discapacidad física, incluida una afección que afecta el sistema inmunológico y limita una actividad importante de la vida. La ley ya reconoce que las “actividades principales de la vida” incluyen la interacción con otros, el trabajo y las funciones principales del sistema inmunitario. [JT1] Hay una excepción que se refiere al resfriado común y la gripe común, pero no hay nada común sobre COVID-19, por lo que esa excepción no debería aplicarse.

El objetivo de las adaptaciones razonables es mantener al empleado trabajando (y ganando un cheque). Entonces, la primera posibilidad que hay que considerar es el teletrabajo. El teletrabajo es una acomodación razonable donde le permite al empleado continuar desempeñando las funciones esenciales de su trabajo. Para los empleados que pueden trabajar por computadora, videoconferencia y teléfono, esta es una opción ideal. Los empleadores pueden rechazar esta acomodación si el permitir que el empleado tele-trabaje imponga una carga excesiva a las operaciones del empleador.

Si no se puede realizar un trabajo de forma remota, una adaptación de último recurso es un permiso de ausencia, lo cual es una opción según la ley donde “es probable que el permiso sea efectivo para permitir que el empleado regrese al trabajo al final del permiso, con o sin adaptaciones razonables adicionales, y no crea dificultades excesivas para el empleador.”

Los empleadores no pueden tener políticas generales que rechacen el teletrabajo o las licencias médicas (o cualquier otro adaptación posible). En cambio, los empleadores deben participar en un proceso interactivo de buena fe para encontrar una adaptación razonable y efectiva.

La ley de California prohíbe las represalias contra una persona con una discapacidad, incluso por disciplinarlas, tratarlas de manera diferente a otros trabajadores, o despedirlas. Esta protección se extiende a las personas que el empleador asume o “considera” como una persona con discapacidad. Si bien los empleadores pueden requerir documentación médica de una discapacidad y las limitaciones de los empleados, no pueden obligar a los empleados a revelar una condición de salud o discapacidad específica.

¿QUÉ PASA SI LA ESCUELA DE MI HIJA O HIJO ESTÁ CERRADA POR CORONAVIRUS?

El permiso de emergencia escolar y los beneficios de desempleo de California pueden ayudar a algunos trabajadores

Si pierde el trabajo para cuidar a su hija o hijo después del cierre de su escuela, puede ser elegible para el seguro de desempleo. El Departamento de Desarrollo de Empleo está manejando las solicitudes de cierre de escuelas caso por caso, y está alentando los reclamos de beneficios parciales donde el empleador permite horas reducidas, pero aún no ha aclarado si los requisitos regulares de estar disponible para trabajar no se aplicarán cuando el empleador no permita horas reducidas. Los empleados deben presentar una solicitud de inmediato ya que el período habitual de espera de 7 días para los beneficios no se aplica debido a COVID-19. Lea más sobre esto a continuación.

Además, según el Código Laboral de California, los empleadores con 25 o más empleados que trabajan en el mismo lugar deben permitir que los empleados tomen hasta 40 horas de licencia por año para atender una emergencia en la guardería o escuela de un niño. Sin embargo, un empleado aún debe notificar al empleador por adelantado.

ESTOY PERDIENDO SALARIOS. ¿QUÉ AYUDARÁ?

Los trabajadores de California pueden solicitar el reemplazo salarial por discapacidad y horas reducidas de trabajo

Hay dos programas estatales disponibles para los empleados que necesitan un reemplazo salarial para apoyar el distanciamiento social por su salud y seguridad: el Seguro Estatal de Incapacidad (SDI) y el Seguro de Desempleo (UI), ambos administrados por el Departamento de Desarrollo del Empleo (EDD). La Orden Ejecutiva del Gobernador Newsom renunció al período habitual de espera de una semana para las personas que están desempleadas y / o discapacitadas como resultado de COVID-19.

La elegibilidad del Seguro Estatal de Discapacidad define la discapacidad para incluir cualquier enfermedad o lesión que impida el trabajo regular o habitual. Los beneficios cubren 60-70 por ciento de los salarios hasta un máximo de $1,300 por semana durante un máximo de 52 semanas, y están exentos de impuestos. Un trabajador debe ser incapaz de trabajar durante al menos ocho días y debe presentar un certificado médico por un profesional de la salud antes de la emisión de beneficios. Las solicitudes pueden presentarse dentro de los 49 días de la primera fecha en que tuvieron que dejar de trabajar debido a una discapacidad.

Si bien el EDD aún no ha confirmado que las aplicaciones que citan solo vulnerabilidades relacionadas con la edad serán aprobadas, han confirmado que las personas que no pueden trabajar debido a “tener o estar expuestas” a COVID-19, si están certificadas por un profesional médico, pueden presentar un reclamo de seguro por discapacidad.

Los trabajadores de más edad que se encuentran en una población vulnerable definida por la edad y que obtienen la certificación médica de su condición relacionada con la edad como una “enfermedad” también pueden ser elegibles para los beneficios por discapacidad, aunque todavía no hay una respuesta segura a esta pregunta. Cuando los médicos u otros proveedores de atención médica completan los formularios de discapacidad, deberían considerar el uso de “R54,” el código de Clasificación Internacional de Enfermedades para la “debilidad física relacionada con la edad” cuando no hay una afección más específica.

El EDD también administra los beneficios de Permiso Familiar Pagado (PFL), permitiendo hasta seis semanas de PFL a la tasa SDI a los californianos que no pueden trabajar porque están cuidando a un familiar enfermo o en cuarentena con COVID-19, si está certificado por un médico profesional.

Si un empleador cierra el lugar de trabajo debido a COVID-19 y no paga o solo paga parcialmente a sus empleados, los trabajadores pueden solicitar el seguro de desempleo (UI) o, si es elegible, SDI. Los beneficios del seguro de desempleo cubren aproximadamente el 50 por ciento de los salarios, hasta un máximo de $450 por semana, lo cual si es imponible.

El EDD ha descrito cómo los contratistas independientes y autónomos pueden calificar para la IU. El Seguro Estatal por Incapacidad solo está disponible para contratistas independientes que se hayan inscrito en la Cobertura Electiva. Los trabajadores frequentementese clasifican erróneamente como contratistas independientes, y pueden tener los mismos derechos a beneficios que los empleados bajo AB 5, incluso si su empleador los llama un “contratista independiente.”

¿QUÉ SUCEDE SI ESTOY EXPUESTO AL COVID-19 EN MI LUGAR DE TRABAJO?

Programas de prevención de lesiones y enfermedades del empleador y compensación para trabajadores

En cumplimiento de su misión de garantizar lugares de trabajo seguros y hacer cumplir los requisitos para que todos los empleadores tengan un Programa de Prevención de Lesiones y Enfermedades, Cal / OSHA ha emitido Directrices Provisionales para la industria general y la protección de los trabajadores de la salud contra COVID-19. Estas directrices incluyen alentar activamente a los empleados enfermos a quedarse en casa, enviar a los empleados con síntomas respiratorios agudos a casa de inmediato, y preparar un plan de respuesta ante un brote en caso de un brote. La orientación para los trabajadores de atención médica enfatiza la capacitación, los controles de prácticas laborales, y el equipo de protección personal.

Los empleadores son responsables de proporcionar compensación a través del sistema de compensación del trabajador por lesiones que surjan en el curso del empleo.

Un trabajador lesionado que estuvo expuesto y contrató el COVID-19 en su trabajo o a través de él puede presentar un reclamo por completar el formulario DWC1 y enviándolo a su empleador.

Cualquier exposición en el lugar de trabajo debe ser un factor importante que contribuya a la lesión de un empleado. Los empleadores frecuentemente disputan si una lesión está relacionada con el trabajo. Esas disputas generalmente son resueltas por la Mesa de Apelaciones de Compensación del Trabajador con base en el informe médico de un médico forense calificado por panel designado por la División de Compensación del Trabajador, probablemente un especialista en inmunología o medicina interna.

Si se aprueba el reclamo, los beneficios incluyen el reemplazo de salario por incapacidad temporal, atención médica, y compensación por incapacidad permanente. Desafortunadamente, los contratistas independientes erróneamente que realmente son empleados bajo la nueva “prueba ABC” de AB 5 (2019) no son elegibles para la compensación del trabajador hasta el 1 de julio de 2020.

Se necesitan más protecciones durante esta emergencia de salud pública

Se necesitan protecciones adicionales durante esta emergencia de salud pública. El gobernador de California, Gavin Newsom, miembros de la Legislatura de California, y el Congreso de los Estados Unidos han anunciado planes para introducir legislación que pueda proteger a los trabajadores sujetos a una orden de aislamiento o cuarentena por parte de un funcionario de salud contra la discriminación o las represalias. La Cámara de Representantes aprobó un paquete de ayuda federal pendiente que extendería hasta tres meses de licencia familiar remunerada por cuarentena (incluida la auto-cuarentena) y cuidado de niños debido a la emergencia de salud pública, 14 días adicionales de licencia por enfermedad remunerada para todos trabajadores estadounidenses durante una emergencia de salud pública, además de 8.67 días acumulados por año. El paquete también requeriría que los Estados alivien los requisitos de IU. Sin embargo, el Senado aún no ha tomado medidas sobre esta propuesta de ley. Estén atentos a esta publicación para actualizaciones continuas.

Para más información sobre COVID-19:

Departamento de Salud Pública de California

Preguntas frecuentes de la Agencia de Desarrollo Laboral y de la Fuerza Laboral de California

Cuadro resumen de beneficios de LWDA

Preguntas frecuentes sobre el coronavirus del Departamento de Desarrollo del Empleo

Preguntas frecuentes sobre el Departamento de Aplicación de Normas Laborales

Regulaciones del Departamento de Empleo y Vivienda Justo

Preguntas frecuentes de la organización Legal Aid at Work – Inglés – Español – Chino