A California law enacted in 2016 directed the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to adopt workplace standards related to the prevention and mitigation of heat illness for indoor workplaces. Cal/OSHA has nearly completed that directive and the Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment standards took effect in 2024.
This new standard, which applies to all indoor work areas where the temperature equals or exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit, is separate and distinct from the Heat Illness Prevention in Outdoor Places of Employment standards that have been in effect for years. Although each set of standards are designed to prevent and mitigate heat illness in the workplace, they are not the same. The indoor workplace standards create different and new requirements that are not found in the outdoor workplace standards.
“Reasonable accommodations” and the “interactive process” are buzzwords often heard in the workplace, but what do they really mean? When do they apply? And what steps should an employer take if they either receive a reasonable accommodation request from an employee or think an employee might need an accommodation?
California and federal law require covered employers to reasonably accommodate for known disabilities of applicants or employees who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of either the position they hold or the position for which they are applying — unless the employer can demonstrate that doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer’s business. Covered employers have a similar obligation to reasonably accommodate an employee or applicant’s religious creed, belief, observance, or practice.
California law recognizes the legitimate need to implement and enforce a drug- and alcohol-free workplace and authorizes employers to do so. However, California also imposes limitations on how employers may enforce drug- and alcohol-free workplace policies.
This webinar will expertly guide employers through the rules surrounding the implementation and enforcement of a drug- and alcohol-free workplace policy, providing real-world, practical examples to help you confidently and legally protect your workplace from drug and alcohol use.
