Health/ Legal & Human Resources Adventist Health inspired by community efforts O ver the last few weeks, our communities have been struggling through perhaps the worst public health crisis of this generation. Schools and businesses have been shuttered. People are being asked to stay away from work, their elderly family members and friends. Those we love are getting sick. Families are frightened. Our way of life has drastically changed. But what we are Sharlet Briggs encouraged by, despite the challenges we face, is the overwhelming sense of hope and goodwill we see from our friends and neighbors in the communities we serve in the Golden Empire, from the mountainJeff Lingerfelt tops of Tehachapi to the valleys in Ba-
kersfield and Delano. At Adventist Health, we are guided by our heartfelt mission: “Living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope.” Today, we are inspired by the hope we’ve seen from our community. Some say that times of crisis bring out either the worst in people or the best. In Kern County, it’s abundantly David Butler clear: This crisis has brought out the best our community has to offer. We’re inspired by the goodwill, friendship and love we’ve seen from those who call Kern County home, and we’re blessed to call this place home, too. We’re inspired by the caregivers across Kern County — and not just those at Adventist Health. The heroes of this pandemic are not only the nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists and others who work in and out of our hospitals and medical of-
AB 5
far-reaching restrictions on the use of independent contractors now are state laws that employers must follow or face penalties, including hefty fines. Prudent employers should audit current company practices and classifications. To be safe, consult an attorney and human resources specialist. If independent contractors are misclassified, change the working arrangement or move the freelancer to employee status. Update organizational charts. Review and, if necessary, revise independent contractor agreements. Replace casual freelance arrangements with carefully written contracts. Contact elected representatives and explain how AB 5 affects hiring practices and the use of independent contractors.
Kern Business Journal
Monday, April 20, 2020
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column a week, for example, will hit the annual limit by August. Freelance writers and photographers report having their contracts canceled and incomes cut as a result of the new law. The long list of other similarly impacted freelancers includes screenwriters, musicians, newspaper carriers, physical therapists, translators, horse trainers, youth sports umpires, loggers, pharmacists, etc. Gonzalez said she is considering removing the cap on the number of submissions freelance writers and photographers can contribute to a publication. But she would require those freelancers to be covered by contracts that specify such things as payment rates and the ownership of “intellectual property.” Earlier this year, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction to ensure the law would not apply to some truckers. But the proposed law changes, ballot initiative and court challenges do not change the fact that AB 5 and its
Karen Bonanno is president of the Bakersfield-based human resources consulting firm P.A.S. Associates and P.A.S. Investigations. She can be contacted through her website www.PASassociates.com and through the P.A.S. Facebook page.
fices or the scientists working around the globe to develop new vaccines and medications. The heroes of this pandemic are also the grocery store clerks who are at the check stands despite concerns for their own health, the agricultural workers who continue to toil in the vastness of our valley’s fields to pick the food our world depends upon, the restaurant employees and delivery drivers who continue to go to work and the housekeepers in every hospital who clean to keep infection from spreading. The heroes are the folks who give strangers a smile and a wave when you see them from a distance on the street because they know we could all use that kind of friendliness these days. They’re the moms and dads who have overnight become homeschool teachers juggling jobs and teaching duties. They’re the school cafeteria workers who ensure our community’s children receive a hot meal each day, even when they’re not in class. They’re the firefighters, paramedics, police and other first responders who continue to put on their uniforms each
day, hit the streets and protect, us even though they’re scared, too. You are all appreciated and loved, and yes, you are all caregivers, too. You are a testament that together, we can overcome anything — even when it feels like we are more distant than ever before. And you all represent something that no pandemic or virus can ever strip away from us: hope. Even in the darkest of times, there’s always something for which we can be grateful. For us, it’s all of you. During these times, we want to urge our communities to continue to lead with love, to be kind to one another, to offer each other grace and to continue inspiring hope in others the way you’ve inspired it in us. Sharlet Briggs is the president of Adventist Health Bakersfield, David Butler is the president of Adventist Health Delano and Jeff Lingerfelt is the president of Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley. Together, the three hospitals, affiliated clinics and outpatient centers serve hundreds of thousands of people across Kern County.
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