FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2020

CONTACT: Brooke Armour
(916) 553-4093

SACRAMENTO—Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, today issued the following response to Governor Newsom’s press conference on new COVID-19 actions:

“Since the start of the pandemic, California employers have been committed to protecting employees and customers in order to help recover our economy. Today, the governor announced additional protections for essential workers. We are grateful for the contributions of all workers during this pandemic, especially essential workers, but we call on the governor to address the additional protections that employers need as well in order to recover and grow jobs.

“For example, there should be liability relief for employers who adhere and exceed the guidelines in the new Employer Safety Handbook. Moreover, strategic enforcement of labor laws must include clear provisions so that corrective actions can be made before punitive actions are imposed.

“While the education community has shifted the job of educating our kids to their parents or primary caregiver for an undetermined amount of time, working parents and their employers will be under increased pressure and stress. To allow both to create the best possible work/life balance, we need a modernized package of telecommuting laws that allow for individualized work plans that allow for necessary flexibility during these unprecedent times.

“We stand ready to work with the governor, task force and Legislature on these critically important issues.”

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