Chamber Connection (December 2022)

2023 California Employment Law Update

The California Legislature finished up its legislative session with a rush of activity, ultimately sending hundreds of bills to the governor, who, as usual, signed many labor and employment bills that will impact employers in the new year.

CalChamber has provided a free white paper detailing these laws, which can be downloaded at https://hrcalifornia. calchamber.com/overview/new-2023california-employment-laws. A summary of some of the law updates can be found below. Unless otherwise noted, all laws take effect January 1, 2023.

Leaves of Absence

AB 1041 expands who an employee can care for under both the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and California’s paid sick leave law, the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (HWHFA). Currently, both laws allow employees to take leave to care for a spouse, registered domestic partner, child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild and sibling. Beginning January 1, 2023, employees can also take CFRA leave or paid sick leave to care for a “designated person.” For the CFRA, the law defines designated person as “any individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. The designated person may be identified by the employee at the time the employee requests the leave.” For the HWHFA, the Labor Code was amended to define designated person more broadly as “a person identified by the employee at the time the employee requests paid sick days.” In both instances, an employer may limit

Order Required 2023 Employment Posters

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is offering substantial discounts on these required posters and other employment notices when you order through the Chamber! The Chamber offers state and federal posters in English and Spanish. We also offer laminated posters, and "poster protect", which means we'll automatically replace your poster if any mandatory chaners occur during the 2023 calendar year.

To order your poster, email madison@ santamaria.com to request an order form and additional information about the other HR materials the Chamber has available for purchase.

We are happy to provide this service to our members to make sure all local busiensses are in compliance by displaying up-to-day state and federal labor laws.

an employee to one “designated person” per 12-month period.

AB 1949 makes bereavement leave a protected leave of absence. The law applies to all private-sector employers with five or more employees and all public-sector employers. It allows employees to take up to five days of bereavement leave upon the death of a family member, defined as including a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, domestic partner or parent-in-law. To be eligible for bereavement leave, the person must be employed by the employer for at least 30 days prior to starting the leave. Bereavement leave may be unpaid, but employees can use existing leave available to the employee (e.g., vacation, paid time off [PTO], sick leave, etc.). Employers can require documentation to support the leave, which may include a

death certificate; a published obituary; or a verification of death, burial or memorial services from a mortuary, funeral home, burial society, crematorium, religious institution or government agency. Leave must be completed within three months of the family member’s death.

Discrimination

Two new laws will expand the scope of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA):

AB 2188 adds cannabis protection to the state’s discrimination law. Specifically, employers will be prohibited from discriminating against an employee or job applicant based on the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace. Importantly, AB 2188 doesn’t go into effect until January 1, 2024.

Chamber Board of Directors: 2022-2023

Executive Committee

Chairman: Sandra Dickerson, Your People Professionals

Chairman-Elect: Paul Cook, CoastHills Credit Union

Vice Chairman: Shannon Seifert, Santa Maria Valley YMCA

Vice Chairman: Laurie Tamura, Urban Planning Concepts

Past Chairman: Danny Deveraux, CalPortland

Board Members

Sue Andersen, President and CEO, Marian Regional Medical Center

Dominick Barry, Quintron Systems, Inc.

Michael Boyer, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast Ron Cossa, Tolman & Wiker Insurance

Donna Denham, Santa Maria Country Club

Karen Fothergill, Andre, Morris & Buttery

Gina Gluyas, Realtor, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Haven Properties Emily Kitts, Naughty Oak Brewing Company

David LeRoy, Toyota of Santa Maria David Merlo, Glenn Burdette Luke Ontiveros, Santa Maria Bonita School District

Tere Paredes, Maya Restaurant Era Polly, Era Polly Real Estate Max Tucker, Best Western Plus Big America

Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D., Superintendent/ President, Allan Hancock College Tim Williams, Digital West

Continued - 2023 California Employment

Law Update

Continued from p.1

SB 523 amends the FEHA to make it unlawful to discriminate against an employee or job applicant based on their “reproductive health decision-making,” which includes, but is not limited to, a decision to use or access a particular drug, device, product or medical service for reproductive health.

Pay Scales and Pay Data

SB 1162 requires employers to make pay scale information available to job applicants and employees, and expands California’s pay data reporting requirements. Under the new law, employers must, upon request, provide a pay scale to an employee for the position the employee is working. Additionally, employers with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale information for a position in any job posting. If an employer uses a third party to “announce, post, publish or otherwise make known a job posting,” the employer must provide the pay scale to the third party, who must include it in the job posting.

Employers must maintain records of job titles and wage rate histories for each employee for the duration of their employment plus three years after their employment ends so the California Labor Commissioner can determine if there are any wage discrepancies. Employers that don’t comply with the new pay scale requirements could be subject to civil penalties from the California Labor Commissioner, which range from $100 to $10,000.

SB 1162 also revises and expands California’s pay data reporting requirements for employers with 100 or more employees.

Lastly, SB 1162 changed the pay data report due date to the second Wednesday of May, annually. The first report under the new requirements will be due May 10, 2023.

COVID-19-Related Laws

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst for business growth, a convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger Santa Maria Valley.

Learn more about the Chamber by visiting www.santamaria.com.

AB 2693 made several helpful changes to the state’s COVID-19 notice requirements. The 2020 law required employers to provide notice to their employees when there’s a potential COVID-19 exposure at the worksite and report cases to local health departments under certain conditions. Among other things, the revisions allow an employer to satisfy the notice requirements by prominently displaying a notice of the potential exposure in the workplace. AB 2693 also removes the requirement that employers report cases to their local health

departments.

The new year may also see a new version of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 regulation. As previously reported, the current COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) will expire at the end of the year. Cal/OSHA is considering a new “permanent” COVID-19 regulation with some significant changes from the ETS. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is expected to vote on the regulation in November or December of this year.

Paid Family Leave

SB 951 extends the current wage replacement rates for California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) and State Disability Insurance (SDI) programs, which were scheduled to sunset at the end of 2023, and sets up an increase in PFL and SDI rates beginning in 2025. Currently, employees are eligible for up to 70 percent of their regular wages under the program, depending on their earnings. Beginning in 2025, wage replacement rates under these programs will increase to 90 percent.

Additionally, California has started a PFL grant program geared toward helping small businesses offset the increased costs that may arise when an employee is out on leave. Eligible business can receive up to $2,000. The grant period ends on May 31, 2024, or when funds run out.

CalSavers Retirement Savings Program

California revised its CalSavers Retirement Savings Program (CalSavers) with SB 1126, which expands the definition of “eligible employer” to a person or entity with at least one employee, down from five. The law, however, specifically excludes from the definition sole proprietorships, self-employed individuals or other business entities that don’t employ individuals beyond the owners. The bill requires eligible employers that don’t offer their own employer-sponsored retirement savings program to employees to have a payroll deposit retirement savings arrangement by December 31, 2025, so employees can participate in CalSavers.

This summary of the 2023 California Employment Law updates was taken from a White Paper published by CalChamber. The full White Paper, including additional details and law updates, can be downloaded at https://hrcalifornia.calchamber. com/overview/new-2023-californiaemployment-laws.

Working Hard on Your Behalf: Chamber Month in Review

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is here for business. We are a catalyst for business growth, convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger Santa Maria Valley. We continue to work hard to serve our members, local businesses and the Santa Maria Valley community. Here’s a glimpse at what we’ve been up to lately.

Catalyst for Business Growth

• The Economic Development Commission (EDC) assisted a Mobile Medical Ultrasound Tech business start-up and a Tanning Salon business purchase. Additionally, the EDC assisted Altrusa in securing a location for the season and taught another round of a Business Startup course for Allan Hancock College. The EDC is also in talks with a foreign manufacturing company seeking to establish a presence in the United States.

• The Chamber filmed our latest Local Business Spotlight Video, done in partnership with the Santa Maria Times. For November, we highlighted Nostalgic's Inc and interviewed owner, Roy La Plante. Nostalgic's Inc recently celebrated 40 years in business. The full video can be viewed at https://santamaria.com/local-businessspotlight.

• The Tourism Board participated in the inaugural Central Coast Film Society's Entertainment Expo and spoke on the Filming on the Central Coast panel.

Convener of Leaders and Influencers

• The Chamber hosted the annual State of the City Address, where city leaders updated our local business leaders on the current and prospective status of the city.

• The Tourism Board attended the Central Coast Tourism Retreat and Board meeting and hosted two familiarization tours.

• The Chamber joined the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber and the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board to launch eight Industry Sector Roundtables to gather input from local businesses about economic development and workforce strategies.

• The Chamber met with business participants from our first round of Teacher Tours to discuss how to further their partnerships with our local schools, teachers, and students.

• The Chamber’s Ambassador Committee continues to meet monthly to stay connected in supporting new members as well as to play an active role in attending upcoming ribbon cuttings and events.

• The Chamber’s weekly BYB, (Build Your Business) continues to meet every Friday morning at 8AM.

Champion for a Stronger Santa Maria Valley

• The Chamber continued the FBLA Speaker Series, where HUB Insurance gave a presentation on the importance of soft skills to over 100 attendees.

• The Chamber published the Vote Record summarizing how ballot measures and local candidates aligned with the Chamber’s public policy positions.

• The LSMV class enjoyed their November topic day on parks and recreation.

• The Chamber joined with neighboring Chambers in Northern Santa Barbara County to continue sponsorship of award packages presented to Guardians and Airmen honored during the Vandenberg Space Force Base quarterly awards.

• The Chamber continues to advocate for businesses at the state and federal level. This month we joined coalitions opposing increased taxes on fuel and pushing back on new air quality regulations that would make warehousing and transporting goods more difficult and expensive. Additionally, Chamber Board Chair Sandra Dickerson provided testimony in a CalOSHA hearing expressing concerns about proposed extensions of the state's COVID-19 emergency rules, including potential continuation of exclusion pay rules.

Tourism Director Jennifer Harrison served as a speaker on the Filming on the Central Coast Panel at the Central Coast Film Society Entertainment Expo.

Mayor Patino speaks at the 2022 State of the City address at the Radisson Hotel Santa Maria.

Leadership Santa Maria Valley cohort pictured here enjoying a painting class.

Chamber Ambassador of the Quarter: Diane Alleman-Stevens

Congratulations to Diane AllemanStevens, the Chamber Ambassador of the Quarter for Q3 2022!

Diane was born in Barking (London) England at the start of WW2. She immigrated to the States in 1954 and graduated from Rancho High School in Las Vegas in 1958. She later became one of first students at UNLV Southern Campus.

In 1961, Diane moved to Santa Maria for the first time before moving overseas in 1972 to Amman, Jordan. She served for three years as President of the American Women of Amman 1974. She then moved to Rota, Spain, where she volunteered at the Base Library and ran the Base Thrift Shop. Diane later returned to Santa Maria in 1979 and worked at Hall.Hurley.Deutsch Architects, until her retirement in 1999.

Diane has worked closely with Altrusa of Santa Maria since 1984, where she served in all officer positions and as President twice. She also became an Ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce in 1984, and has since served as an Ambassador for 38 years, including 5 years as Chief Ambassador. Diane is the longest standing Santa Maria Valley Chamber Ambassador.

In 1990, she was awarded the Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce/Oldsmobile ATHENA/Award and was named the SBAR County 4th District Woman of the

Year. From 2002 to 2016, she volunteered with the Santa Maria Police Department and continues to serve as a special projects volunteer today.

She was in the inaugural class of Leadership Santa Maria Valley (1995) and has served on the Board for over 25 years as Secretary. Additionally, Diane is Treasurer of the Altrusa International Santa Maria Foundation and Treasurer of Santa Maria Public Library Foundation.

In 2019, Diane was named Elks Citizen of the Year, Retired Senior and Volunteer Program Senior of the Year (volunteering

over 500 hours in 2016 to the community), and Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce Volunteer (nominated by the Santa Maria Public Library).

Thank you Diane for all you do for the Chamber as one of our Ambassadors! If you are interested in joining the Ambassador Committee, contact Cara Martinez , Membership Manager, at (805) 925-2403 x 852 or email cara@santamaria. com. Additional information about the Ambassador Committee is available at santamaria.com/Chamber-AmbassadorCommittee

Chamber Celebrates Fall 2022 Junior CEO Graduates

This cohort of Junior CEO saw 75 total participants and 21 booths at the business launch event hosted at the Santa Maria Town Center Mall.

The most profitable businesses include: Caylee Suarez's 'Caylee's Candles' and Brenden LeRoy's 'B's Berry Dips.'

The Junior CEO program is licensed to the Santa Maria Valley Chamber by the Visalia Chamber. The program is made possible by our presenting sponsors: Community Bank of Santa Maria, California Strawberry Commission; and session sponsors: Coast Hills CU - Business Services, L & G Farming, Marian Regional Medical Center, CalPortland, and Your People Professionals.

Interested in sponsoring Junior CEO? Reach out to yuliana@santamaria.com.

The Fall 2022 Cohort of Junior CEOs celebrating Graduation at Toyota of Santa Maria.

Celebrating Local Business: Chamber Ribbon Cuttings for November 2022

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is a champion for our local business community. We are thankful for the support from our local businesses, and excited to celebrate new members and major business milestones with the following local businesses in September & October 2022.

Partners Personnel

611 S. Broadway, Santa Maria (805)867-7670 partnerspersonnel.com

Partners Personnel is a nationwide fullservice staffing company recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as the one of the “Best Staffing Firms to Work For!" and “#1 Fastest-Growing Industrial Staffing Firm."

Dignity Health

1745 N. Broadway, Santa Maria (805) 940-1184 dignityhealth.org

Dignity Health celebrated serving the community for 25 years and opening a new community clinic with a Ribbon Cutting. Dignity Health operates the Marian Medical Center in addition to many urgent care locations. For more information, please visit their website.

The Rotary Club of Santa Maria celebrated their Centennial Anniversary on November 1st with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Historic Santa Maria Inn! They have been serving the community for over 100 years.

Santa Maria Recycling Center

1544 Black Road, Santa Maria (805) 346-2770 santamariarecyclingcenterinc.com

Santa Maria Recycling Center is more than just a recycling center, they also operate as a wrecking yard and purchase old vehicles, metal, and equipment.

As a Chamber member, we are happy to partner with your business and help you celebrate a new business opening or major milestone with a ribbon cutting!

To learn more and reserve your space on our calendar, contact Membership Manager Cara Martinez at (805) 925-2403 x 852 or cara@santamaria.com.

Ribbon cuttings are open to the public and we encourage all to attend and celebrate local business with us! Upcoming ribbon cutting events can be found on our Chamber Events Calendar at santamaria.com, and by viewing our events on our Facebook page (facebook. com/santamariavalleychamber).

Not yet a Chamber member? Now is an excellent time to join! Being a member of the Chamber will connect you with other local professionals and help grow your business.

Be a part of our growing community of over 800 local businesses who are members of the Chamber - Contact Membership Manager Cara Martinez to join today, and the next ribbon cutting we celebrate could be yours!

Rotary Club of Santa Maria rotaryclubofsantamaria.org

Chamber Membership Corner

New Members: October 2022

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is proud to welcome these new members joining the Chamber. We highly encourage you to support Chamber member businesses.

Executive

805 Solar Clean 550 W. Betteravia Rd. Ste. A, Santa Maria (805)928-9900 www.805solarclean.com

Premium

Giavanni's Pizza 1108 E. Clark Ave, Suite 130, Orcutt (805)934-8555 www.giavannispizza.com

Santa Maria Recycling Center, Inc. 1544 Black Road, Santa Maria (805) 346-2770 www.santamariarecyclingcenterinc.com

Member

Aplicca Brand Partners (805) 631-0949 www.apliccabrandpartner.com

Crumbl Cookies 449 E. Betteravia Rd. Santa Maria (805)293-7272 www.crumblcookies.com/casantamaria

Partners Personnel 611 S. Broadway, Santa Maria (805)867-7670 www.partnerspersonnel.com

SEEAG's Farm Lab 800 S. College Dr., Santa Maria (805)892-8155 www.seeag.org/farmlab

Veterans of Foreign Wars - Post 2521 200 E. Battles, Santa Maria (805)925-5215

Member Upgrades: October 2022

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is thankful for the following members who have chosen to upgrade their Chamber membership. We appreciate your commitment to the Chamber and our local community!

Executive

Shred 2 You

550 W. Betteravia Rd., Suite A, Santa Maria (805)928-6800 www.shred2you.com

Investor

Foodbank of Santa Barbara County

490 W Foster Rd., Santa Maria (805)937-3422 www.foodbanksbc.org

St. Mary of the Assumption School 424 East Cypress St., Santa Maria (805)925-6713 www.stmarysschoolsm.com

Renewing Members: October 2022

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is excited to recognize these partners who strive each day to create jobs, boost our local economy and build a community of which we can all be proud. Thank you for your loyalty and continued support in renewing your commitment to the Chamber and to the communities of Santa Maria Valley.

73 Years: Tunnell Roofing Co., Inc

44 Years: Company's Coming 42 Years: Pacific Premier Bank Santa Maria Elks Lodge #1538

38 Years: Straw Hat Pizza

37 Years: Santa Maria Museum of Flight 34 Years: Rizzoli's Automotive

32 Years: Bunny Maxim, CornerStone Mission Coast Realty

29 Years: Gold Coast Executive Transportation

25 Years: Laurel Labor Services 24 Years: Ross Realty Santa Maria Swim Club

23 Years: The Natural History Museum of Santa Maria

22 Years: American General Media Coastal Voices

20 Years: Perry's Electric Motors and Controls

19 Years: CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

16 Years: CIO Solutions Knollwood Meadows Apartments

15 Years: Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley

13 Years: FUEGO 97.1 Hot Hits

10 Years: Laurus College Woody's Butcher Block

7 Years: Hacienda Realty

6 Years: Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County Xtreme Backyards

5 Years: Orcutt Community Theater Trader Joe's

4 Years: Xtreme Electronics

3 Years: Arrow Plumbing Drain & Repair Services Plantel Nurseries

1 Year: Joseph Engineering JR Bookkeeping The Maker's Son The Salty Brigade Kitchen

Member Testimonials

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce for all the work they have done to keep the busieness community informed during the recent COVID-19 outbreak. As a sponsor member of the Chamber, we have used the services offered to businesses many times. We find that the SMVCC website has numerous resources available to fit the needs of our business. Being a Chamber member also helps us to make connections and gain exposure in the communities we service. This has enabled us to grow our business through networking with other businesses. We would highly recommend any business to become a member."

--Omar and Petra Hernanadez, Owners, Shred 2 You, Inc.

"The SMV Chamber has helped amplify our agency’s marketing efforts and given us opportunities to promote our business in areas that we otherwise wouldn’t be able. We are in constant contact with our Chamber representatives ensuring we are maximizing our membership so we don’t miss out on a golden opportunity. They are always there to help guide, promote, and see to it that we continue to remain top of mind."

--Morris & Garritano Insurance Services

614 S. Broadway Santa Maria, CA 93454

Chamber Connection is the official monthly publication of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. For questions about this publication or to be added to our monthly mailing distribution list, email molly@santamaria.com.

Have News to Share? Submit an Article

Chamber Members in good standing are welcome to submit articles to our Santa Maria Valley Chamber News platform as a member benefit. Your article will be published to our site within 1-3 business days, and a link to your article will be included in our Chamber News e-blast, the Wednesday following our approved submission.

Article Submission Guidelines: Chamber news submissions should be emailed to paulina@santamaria.com Please include your article as a word document attachment, or embed the text within your email. You are welcome

to include up to three images with your article, which should be .jpg format and also sent as attachments in your email.

Your article should include a catchy title and has no grammar or spelling errors. Article topics can include things like industry news, upcoming events or promotions, or industry information you believe other business professionals will find valuable. Articles may be submitted as often as you would like (with different content), and will be posted within 1-3 business days. Chamber News submissions are only open to Chamber Members in good standing.

Additional questions about Chamber News? Contact Molly Schiff, Director of Member & Community Engagement, at molly@ santamaria.com or (805) 925-2403 x 816.

Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau 614 S. Broadway, Santa Maria | (805) 925-2403 | santamaria.com | info@santamaria.com