In June 2022, California enacted legislation aiming to help stabilize the state’s health care sector and retain qualified workers in light of the ongoing Covid -19 pandemic. Senate Bill 184 affords certain health care workers and physicians retention payments from the state if they were
- employed at least part time between July 30, 2022, and Oct. 28, 2022; and
- continued to provide on-site services as of Nov. 28, 2022.
The California Department of Health Care Services has indicated that qualified staffing agency temporary workers are eligible for these payments. The retention payments apply to health care workers and physicians of “qualifying facilities” (i.e., hospitals, nursing facilities, and clinics) as well as “covered services employers,” defined as entities which (a) “employ or exercise control over wages, hours, or working conditions” and (b) provide on-site services to their respective clients. The program provides retention payments of up to $1,500 for each eligible full-time employee; $1,250 for each eligible part-time employee; and $1,000 for each eligible physician.
Staffing agencies are responsible for applying for retention payments on behalf of their employees; employees may not apply for these payments directly. Application is a two-step process.
- Entities must register with DHCS by Dec. 21, 2022. Those entities whose registration is approved will receive a link to the application.
- Approved entities must complete the application on behalf of their employees by 5 p.m. Pacific time on Dec. 30, 2022.
In January 2023, DHCS will begin issuing payments to qualifying entities for disbursement to their employees. To begin the registration process and for more information on the Retention Payment Program, please visit Hospital-and-Skilled-Nursing-Facility-COVID-19-Worker-Retention-Payments (ca.gov).
DHCS is hosting two webinars to answer questions about the registration and application process. These webinars are open to the public and will take place on Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. Pacific time and Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. Pacific time. Register for these webinars on the DHCS website.
Yesterday, the California Civil Rights Department published answers to frequently asked questions on SB 1162, a law enacted last year requiring staffing agencies to report to the state temporary employees’ annual “pay data” by race, ethnicity, and sex, and also requiring staffing agency clients to submit separate reports covering the employees provided by staffing agencies…. More ›
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Sorry, the content you’ve selected is for members only. Maybe it’s time to join! Or if you’re already a member, please log in. Join today to get access to all of ASA’s legal information and resources for members. The ASA legal team works hard to keep members informed about the laws and regulations that impact their… More ›
Sorry, the content you’ve selected is for members only. Maybe it’s time to join! Or if you’re already a member, please log in. Join today to get access to all of ASA’s legal information and resources for members. The ASA legal team works hard to keep members informed about the laws and regulations that impact their… More ›
Sorry, the content you’ve selected is for members only. Maybe it’s time to join! Or if you’re already a member, please log in. Join today to get access to all of ASA’s legal information and resources for members. The ASA legal team works hard to keep members informed about the laws and regulations that impact their… More ›
Sorry, the content you’ve selected is for members only. Maybe it’s time to join! Or if you’re already a member, please log in. Join today to get access to all of ASA’s legal information and resources for members. The ASA legal team works hard to keep members informed about the laws and regulations that impact their… More ›
Sorry, the content you’ve selected is for members only. Maybe it’s time to join! Or if you’re already a member, please log in. Join today to get access to all of ASA’s legal information and resources for members. The ASA legal team works hard to keep members informed about the laws and regulations that impact their… More ›
Thursday, Feb. 27 12:30–5:15 p.m. Central time Offices of Tricom 9700 W. Higgins Rd Rosemont, IL 60018 Learn more Cost to Attend: ISSA members: $99 (initial registrant of member company) ISSA additional members: (from same company as initial registrant) $59 Nonmembers: $159 Who Should Attend Staffing professionals, owners, executives, and HR professionals in the state… More ›
Thursday, Feb. 13 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Eastern time Eisenhower Conference Center 290 W. Mt. Pleasant Avenue Livingston, NJ 07039 Learn more Cost to Attend: Members: $180 Nonmembers: $270 Who Should Attend Owners, managers, and staff engaged in workforce and compliance issues in the state Highlights This is a one-day conference designed to provide staffing professionals… More ›
Staffing firm clients have increasingly adopted policies limiting the length of assignment of staffing firm workers as way to protect against the kind of “retro-benefits” claims faced by Microsoft. Some client policies appear to be based on the erroneous belief that, after working for a certain period of time, staffing firm employees are automatically eligible for coverage under the client’s benefits plans. To help dispel some of the common misperceptions, ASA has developed an issue paper that discusses the basic principles of law that apply to employee benefit plans and the steps clients can take to avoid retro-benefits exposure. More ›
