LABOR UPDATE: Employers Cannot Force Employees to Use Paid Leave During This Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
Ferrone & Ferrone (FF) attorneys are fielding hundreds of phone calls from public safety associations and officers throughout the state, who are all struggling to manage the Covid-19 pandemic. The most common question that is arising is whether an employer may unilaterally implement a new policy, requiring union members to quarantine away from work, all […]
Ferrone & Ferrone Secures 2-Weeks Paid Leave During Quarantine for First Responders
March 16, 2020 – The City of Long Beach is believed to be the first City to step up and provide a full 2-weeks of paid leave during any period of quarantine for its police and fire personnel due to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. The decision was made on Saturday, March 14, 2020, and is […]
Federal OSHA Allows “Vaccinate or Test”
Provides Option Other Than Forced Jab On November 4, 2021, the US Department of Labor, Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) issued its awaited “Emergency Temporary Standard” regarding Covid-19 vaccination mandates. OSHA is authorized to issue Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) that take effect immediately and are in effect until superseded by a permanent standard. To […]
Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) Issues Decision on Mandatory Covid Vaccinations
On July 26, 2021, the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) issued a decision on the issue of the Covid mandatory vaccinations, in the matter of Regents of the University of California, PERB Dec. No. 2783-H: The PERB found the following: The decision to adopt the influenza vaccination policy was outside the scope of representation because […]
Unfair Labor Charge Obtained Against Fullerton for Failing to Meet and Confer over Aid Agreement
Ferrone & Ferrone and the Fullerton Firefighters’ Association, International Association of Firefighters, Local 3421, have obtained an unfair labor charge against the City of Fullerton for failing to meet and confer over its decision to enter into an auto-aid agreement with the City of Placentia. On June 16, 2020, the City Council for the City […]
LA District Attorney Updates: What Does LA County Policy Changes Mean for Peace Officers?
Newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon intends to release more than just a wave of policy changes in the criminal justice infrastructure of Los Angeles. Gascon is bringing many jolting adjustments to Los Angeles County including policies to decline prosecution of numerous misdemeanor crimes, eradicate the ability for prosecutors to add a […]
COVID-19 and Mental Health Update for Public Safety Officers
It is especially important that when in difficult and stressful situations, public safety officers take the time to care for and protect their mental health and well-being. The mental strain of being a public safety officer can be extraordinarily taxing. Add the current Covid-19 pandemic, and officers face an even greater hardship for enforcement now […]
Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order on COVID-19 Workers Comp Presumption
May 6, 2020 – Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order (N-62-20) that will make it easier for essential workers who contract COVID-19 to obtain workers’ compensations benefits in a win for labor unions that called for the change. The order streamlines workers’ compensation claims and establishes a rebuttable presumption that any essential workers infected […]
Coronavirus: What Law Enforcement Needs to Know for Workers’ Compensation
May 18, 2020 – Updated – Ferrone & Ferrone (FF) attorneys are fielding hundreds of phone calls from public safety associations and officers throughout the state, who are all struggling to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The most common question that is arising is whether an employer may unilaterally implement a new policy, requiring union members […]
UNDERSTANDING THE “HEART” PRESUMPTION
Public safety officers are entitled to the ‘Heart Trouble’ presumption. If an officer develops or manifests ‘heart trouble’ during their employment, the ‘heart trouble’ is presumed to have been caused by work. The presumption also extends for up to five years after the last day worked. This presumption has not stopped employers from denying claims […]