SB 654 (Jackson) Parental Leave - Small Business California - OPPOSE - Assembly Floor Alert

Subject: SB 654 (Jackson) Parental Leave - Small Business California – Urgent  OPPOSE - Assembly Floor Alert

Remember a few months ago I sent an email about SB 406. This bill lowered the Family Medical Leave requirements in California from employees 50 employees to 10 employees. The bill died in the legislature.

Well it has come back in a process called a gut and amend. Senator de Leon agreed to gut his bill SB 654 which had to do with hazardous waste facility closures and amended  it with Senator Jacksons SB406 .  This was done on August 11. This will probably come up next week.  Lori has put together a floor alert asking people and associations  to tell Assembly Members of your opposition.

I am writing to ask you and or your association to sign this. If you are signing as a business make sure and provide your name, address  and your title.

Time is of the essence so please do this quickly. See below.

Scott Hauge
President
Small Business California
2311 Taraval Street
San Francisco, CA  94116
shauge@cal-insure.com
415-680-2188 
ASSEMBLY FLOOR ALERT

TO:    ALL MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY

FROM:   SMALL BUSINESS CALIFORNIA

DATE:      AUGUST 18, 2016

RE:    SB 654 (Jackson) as Amended Aug 11, 2016 - Parental Leave - OPPOSE

 

On behalf of Small Business California and its network of more than 5,000 employers who 

represent 3.6 million small businesses in this state, we strongly OPPOSE SB 564 that would 

expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)

 to prohibit an employer with 10 or more employees from refusing to allow an employee with

 more than 12 months of service with the employer, and who has at least 1,250 hours of 

service with the employer during the previous 12-month period, to take up to 12 weeks of 

parental leave to bond with a new child within one year of the child’s birth, adoption, 

or foster care placement. The bill would also prohibit an employer from refusing to maintain

 and pay for coverage under a group health plan for an employee who takes this leave. 

 Existing law already prohibits an employer from refusing to allow a pregnant employee 

to take a leave of absence after the birth of the child for up to 4 months before

 returning to work. Existing law also prohibits an employer from refusing to maintain

 and pay for coverage under a group health plan for an employee who takes that leave.

 However, Senate Bill 654 (Jackson) will create a hardship on 

small businesses with 10 or more employees by imposing a mandate that these 

employers provide a 12-week protected leave of absence.  This is especially difficult for

 small businesses who have multiple employees who already have protected leave and 

because the employer must hire and train a temporary employee to cover the employees’ 

duties.  

For these reasons, Small Business California must OPPOSE SB 654. Please contact Scott Hauge, President of Small Business California, directly at 415.680.2109, or our Legislative Advocate, Lori Kammerer, Kammerer