Cal/OSHA Guidance on Requirements to Protect Workers from Coronavirus
- Workplace safety and health regulations in California require employers to protect workers exposed to airborne infectious diseases such as the coronavirus. Cal/OSHA has posted guidance to help employers comply with these safety requirements and to provide workers information on how to protect themselves.
- Cal/OSHA’s Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) standard (section 5199) requires protection for employees working at health care facilities, and other services and operations, including:
- Hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, medical offices, outpatient medical facilities, home health care, long-term health care facilities, hospices, medical outreach services, medical transport and emergency medical services
- Certain laboratories, public health services and police services that are reasonably anticipated to expose employees to an aerosol transmissible disease.
- Correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and drug treatment programs
- Any other locations when Cal/OSHA informs employers in writing that they must comply with the ATD Standard
RESOURCES
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Resources: State and Local Government
Child Care
Child Care Providers United (CCPU) Resources:
Child Care & COVID-19: What We Need, How We Can Help Each Other:
COVID-19 is showing us how much we depend on each other. So child care providers are pulling together to demand–and win–the protections that will keep us healthy, keep children safe, and enable parents in essential jobs to keep working. We’ve been able to do that through our union–uniting us across California whether we’re Black or white, Latino or Asian, native or newcomer–speaking with one loud voice. Through Child Care Providers United we’ve asked the Governor to make emergency provision for child care.
- More Resources from CCPU are available here.
State guidance for child care workers, as of March 17, 2020:
- All childcare workers working within the state subsidy system, both in family childcare and center settings, are to be paid regardless of child attendance. Pay will be based on your most recent invoice, based on highest capacity, before the pandemic began.
- Governor Newsom has called for local governments to halt evictions for renters and homeowners, slow foreclosures, and protect against utility shutoffs for Californians affected by COVID-19. While these measures are important for everyone affected by the crisis, they are especially important for child care providers whose place of business is their home.
- Family child care home, day care center, school-age child care center or infant care centers may waive adult-to-child, teacher-child, or staff-infant ratios as necessary for prevention, containment, and mitigation measures, as long as the health and safety of children is not compromised. The ratio of child to staff in a family child care home is increased to up to 10 children per 1 adult. Small child care providers can care for up to 14 children and license exempt providers can care for kids from more than one family. There are additional guidelines for how providers should comply (notify licensing and parents, for example). Finally, compliance on staff guidelines to allow hiring and other licensing rules have been relaxed temporarily.
Guidance on prevention, containment and control of COVID-19 in child care settings has been released here.
Disability Facts
- If you’re unable to work due to having or being exposed to COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional), you can file a Disability Insurance (DI) claim. The one-week unpaid waiting period has been waived, so you can collect DI benefits for the first week you are out of work.
Emergency Food
- With @CountyofLA closure of public facilities, all congregate meal sites will close effective 3/16. We will still distribute packaged and frozen meals to ensure older adults receive critically needed meals.
See map of all sites here: bit.ly/mealsites
Interim Guidance for Protecting Health Care Workers
- Guidance for hospital and laboratory workers on preventing exposure to Coronavirus
- Guidance for health care facilities on the efficient use of respirator supplies
Cal/OSHA’s regulations require protection for workers exposed to airborne infectious diseases such as the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The CDC has issued interim guidance for businesses and employers to help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19.
Interim Guidelines for Protecting Workers in General Industry
Paid Sick Leave
All California workers are entitled to 3 days or 24 hours per year (after 30 days on the job) and can use paid sick leave beginning on the 90th day of employment. Your bargaining agreement may allow you to use more than 24 hours of paid sick leave.
Renter Protections
On March 16, Governor Newsom issued an executive order that authorizes local governments to halt evictions for renters and homeowners, slows foreclosures, and protects against utility shutoffs for Californians affected by COVID-19.
Unemployment Insurance
- If your employer has reduced your hours or shut down operations due to COVID-19, you can file an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim. The one-week unpaid waiting period has been waived, so you can collect UI benefits for the first week you are out of work.
- If your child’s school is closed, and you have to miss work to be there for them, you may be eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits. Eligibility considerations include if you have no other care options and if you are unable to continue working your normal hours remotely.
- If you’re unable to work because you are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional), you can file a Paid Family Leave (PFL) claim.
Resources: By SEIU Local
SEIU Local 99
Representing nearly 35,000 public and private sector education workers throughout Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino Counties.
2724 W 8th St., Los Angeles, CA 90005
Phone: (213) 387-8393 | Web: www.seiu99.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 121 RN
Representing nurses and other healthcare professionals at 27 hospitals and medical facilities throughout Southern California.
1040 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103
Phone: (626) 639-6200 | Web: www.seiu121rn.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 221
Representing San Diego County employees, employees in cities across San Diego & Imperial Counties, Head Start employees, school employees, and Court Reporters.
4004 Kearny Mesa Rd., San Diego, CA 9211
Phone: (858) 560-0151 | Web: www.seiu221.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 280
The Pari-Mutuel Employees Guild represents nearly 2,000 horse racing on track and offsite facilities statewide, including Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Golden Gate Fields
1838 E. Huntington Driv, Duarte, CA 91010
Phone: (626) 301-7900 | Web: seiulocal280.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members: Please Call
SEIU Local 521
Representing 40,000 public- and nonprofit, private-sector workers in the central Bay Area region and in the Central Valley.
2302 Zanker Rd., San Jose, CA 95131
Phone: (408) 678-3300 | Web: www.seiu521.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 620
Representing over 3,500 public employees in 24 different public agencies in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
350 S Hope Avenue Suite A103, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Phone: (805) 963-0601 | Web: seiulocal620.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members: Please Call
SEIU Local 721
Representing over 95,000 public sector workers including Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside and Santa Barbara, as well as municipalities like Palm Springs and Pasadena.
1545 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 100, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 368-8660 | Web: www.seiu721.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 1000
Representing 96,000 working people employed by the State of California, making Local 1000 the largest public sector union in California and one of the largest in the country.
P.O. Box 160005, Sacramento, CA 95816-0005
Phone: (866) 471-7348 | Web: seiu1000.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 1021
Representing nearly 60,000 employees in local governments, non-profit agencies, health care programs and schools throughout Northern California.
350 Rhode Island, Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 848-3611 | Web: seiu1021.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 1983 (CFA)
The California Faculty Association represents California State University faculty, including tenure-track faculty, Lecturers, Librarians, counselors and coaches.
1110 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 441-4848 | Web: www.calfac.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 2007
Representing over 1,000 employees at Stanford University, Local 2007 represents employees including retail and service, trades, grounds and landscaping and research.
466 Via Ortega Building E, Suite E5, Stanford, CA 9430
Phone: (650) 723-3680 | Web: seiu2007.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 2015
Representing over 385,000 home care, skilled nursing facility, and assisted living center workers, SEIU Local 2015 is the largest union in California.
2910 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057
Phone: (855) 810-2015 | Web: seiu2015.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU Local 2579 (CSUEU)
Representing 16,000 California State University support staff, CSUEU covers the academics and operations of the California State University system.
120 K Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 319-4800 | Web: www.csueu.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU-CIR
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) represents 15,000 resident physicians and fellows dedicated to improving residency training and education.
PO Box 512075, Los Angeles, CA 90051
Phone: (213) 263-2212 | Web: cirseiu.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU NURSE ALLIANCE CA
More than 35,000 Registered Nurses from both public and private sector health systems are part of the SEIU Nurse Alliance of California.
574 Manzanita Ave. Suite 7, Chico, CA 95926
Phone: (530) 809-2234 | Web: nurseallianceca.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU-UHW
Representing more than 95,000 healthcare workers, SEIU United Healthcare Workers West is one of the largest unions of hospital workers in the western United States.
560 Thomas L Berkley Way, Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 251-1250 | Web: seiu-uhw.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members
SEIU-USWW
SEIU United Service Workers West represents more than 45,000 janitors, security officers, airport service workers, and other property service workers across California.
828 West Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: (213) 284-7705 | Web: www.seiu-usww.org
Corona Virus Resources for Members