The California Legislature is contemplating whether or not workers who’re presently working from residence have a proper to proceed to take action till the employer gives advance written discover of the necessity to return to the office. Senate Invoice (SB) 73, launched by Senator Ashby, is making its method by way of the Legislative committee course of and was set for listening to on Might 18, 2023.
If handed, SB 73 would make it an illegal employment apply for an employer to fail to offer an worker who’s presently working from residence pursuant to an settlement with, or coverage of, the employer with a minimum of 30 days’ advance discover earlier than requiring the worker to return to work in particular person. Additional, the brand new regulation would require that the advance discover of return to work comprise prescribed language in regards to the rights of an worker to request distant work as an affordable lodging for a incapacity.
As presently drafted, SB 73 gives that an employer’s advance 30 days’ discover to distant workers should comprise the next language:
“You may have the best to ask your employer to can help you proceed working remotely as an lodging you probably have a incapacity. Your employer is required to interact in a well timed, good religion, interactive course of to find out if there are efficient affordable lodging to your incapacity, together with working remotely. If you’ll be able to carry out all your important job features whereas working remotely, your employer should grant your request until it could create an undue hardship to your employer, another affordable lodging is obtainable, or you don’t meet the definition of incapacity below the regulation. You possibly can study extra about your rights right here.”
The writer of SB 73 claims to be involved that as many employers have, or will quickly, migrate again to in-person work, the alternatives for workers with disabilities to work remotely might start to recede. Nonetheless, as many research have proven, a big share of workers proceed to wish to work remotely despite the fact that the necessity to take action due to the Covid-19 pandemic has ended. This want for distant work just isn’t tied to the truth that workers are affected by disabilities, however as an alternative is predicated on flexibility. For instance, the third version of the McKinsey & Firm “American Alternative Survey” gives key information on how versatile work suits into the lives of staff. The survey revealed that 87% of workers throughout all demographics, occupations, and geographies selected distant work, with 80 million People partaking in it. In response to the McKinsey & Firm’s survey report, “[t]he versatile working world was born of a frenzied response to a sudden disaster however has remained as a fascinating job characteristic for hundreds of thousands. This represents a tectonic shift in the place, when, and the way People wish to work and are working.” [https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/real-estate/our-insights/americans-are-embracing-flexible-work-and-they-want-more-of-it]
Thus, if handed, SB 73 will probably lead to coated employers fielding quite a few requests for distant work as an affordable lodging, not solely from workers who’ve reliable and qualifying disabilities, but in addition from workers who merely don’t wish to return to the office. Employers will likely be required to deal with every request individually, undergo the required interactive course of with every worker to find out if they’ve a qualifying incapacity and, if that’s the case, consider whether or not distant work or another different affordable lodging may be offered with out creating an undue hardship for the employer. As many employers know, this interactive course of could be a very time-consuming and delicate course of involving enter from the worker’s well being care supplier, a evaluation of the worker’s important job features and work restrictions, and an analysis of what, if any, potential affordable lodging could also be accessible. Nonetheless, failure to interact within the interactive course of may end up in authorized legal responsibility. Thus, even when an employer has cause to consider an worker doesn’t have a qualifying incapacity however simply desires to do business from home, the employer should be capable of doc that it went by way of the interactive course of in good religion earlier than reaching that conclusion and refusing to accommodate the worker with distant work, or another different affordable lodging.
So, keep tuned as we proceed to watch the standing of SB 73 and whether or not or not it turns into regulation.
