News Archive

Email A Friend

More News

April 19, 2024
Workers Compensation Bill 2024: One percent of employee’s salary to contribute to workers’ compensation fund in Kenya.

April 15, 2024
Colorado Worker Shows Head Injury Happened as a Consequence of a Knock on the Head at Work

April 4, 2024
Callfornia Division of Workers' Compensation Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Meeting Scheduled for April 17, 2024

April 3, 2024
California Division of Workers' Compensation Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (DMEPOS)

Oakland—The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) today released its 2015 Legislative Digest which summarizes new laws and vetoed bills relevant to DIR and its divisions. Most of the chaptered bills are slated to take effect on January 1, 2016.

Highlights of the chaptered bills include:

• SB 358 mandates that women be paid equally for work that is substantially similar to the work of their male colleagues. It also prohibits discrimination or retaliation of employees who discuss their wages and those of their male colleagues.
• SB 579 gives workers more flexibility to take job-protected leave to address child care issues, a school emergency or to enroll or re-enroll a child in school.
• AB 970 authorizes the Labor Commissioner’s office to issue citations for violations of local minimum wage laws and failure to reimburse employees for unpaid business expenses.
• AB 1124 requires the Division of Workers’ Compensation to establish a prescription drug formulary for the California workers’ compensation system.
• AB 1513 clarifies pay requirements for piece-rate workers’ mandated rest and recovery breaks and other nonproductive time, and addresses back liability by providing employers the opportunity, within a specified period, to make back wage payments for rest and recovery breaks and other nonproductive time in exchange for relief from statutory penalties.

The Department of Industrial Relations protects and improves the health, safety and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR administers and enforces laws governing wages, hours and breaks, overtime, retaliation, workplace safety and health, apprenticeship training programs, and medical care and other benefits for injured workers. DIR also publishes materials and holds workshops and seminars to promote healthy employment relations, conducts research to improve its programs, and coordinates with other agencies to target egregious violators of labor laws and tax laws in the underground economy.

DIR’s divisions include the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement also known as the Labor Commissioner’s Office, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health commonly known as Cal/OSHA, the Division of Worker’s Compensation and the Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

Members of the press may contact Erika Monterroza or Peter Melton at (510) 286-1161, and are encouraged to subscribe to get email alerts on DIR’s press releases or other departmental updates.

California Department of Industrial Relations
www.dir.ca.gov