New Pro-Worker Laws Will Put California on Path to Stronger Economy

http://www.calaborfed.org/index.php/site/page/new_pro-worker_laws_will_put_california_on_path_to_stronger_economy/

At the close of the 2011 legislative session, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a number of bills relating to worker health and safety, good jobs and wage protection that put the state on a path to a stronger economy. No legislative session is perfect -- and this was no exception -- but it’s clear the state has come a long way under Brown’s leadership to tackling the pressing problems we face. Still, our economic problems demand even bolder solutions moving forward.

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Here's a sampling of bills Brown signed -- on issues ranging from tackling the underground economy to preserving public libraries to creating jobs -- that will immediately give a boost to workers and their families upon going into effect on January 1st:

SB 459 (Corbett) – Misclassification of independent contractors. There is no existing penalty in state law for employers who misclassify their employees as independent contractors to evade their obligations. This law creates significant new penalties for willful misclassification, requires violators to post a notice on their company website, holds consultants liable for advising employers to misclassify, and notifies the Contractors State Licensing Board to discipline a contractor who willfully misclassifies.

AB 22 (Mendoza) – No credit checks for employment unless related to job. Over 65% of all employers now use credit checks to screen out prospective employees, even though no research ties credit scores to work performance or trustworthiness. A worker’s credit score may suffer because they lost their job, lost their home, lost their insurance. AB 22 bars credit checks for employment purposes unless a worker’s credit history is substantially related to the job.



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