The California Chamber of Commerce today announced that two recently introduced bills will be on its upcoming 2020 Job Killer list. These bills are very similar to prior versions introduced in the past that were also identified as Job Killers and stopped in the legislative process given the significant policy concerns raised.
SB 850 (Leyva; D-Chino) Work Hours: Scheduling – The bill requires an employer, which includes a grocery store establishment, restaurant, or retail store establishment, to provide its employees with a 21-day work schedule at least 7 calendar days in advance. Among other provisions, the bill would require an employer, except as specified, to pay its employees modification pay for each previously scheduled shift that the employer cancels or moves to another date or time, for any previously unscheduled shift that the employer requires an employee to work, or for each on-call shift for which an employee is required to be available but is not called in to work that shift.
CalChamber has identified SB 850 (Leyva) as a job killer because it will eliminate flexibility in the workplace for both employers and employees, deny employees the opportunity to work additional hours if desired, limit employers’ ability to accommodate customer demands, and subject employers to unnecessary layers of penalties, investigative actions and costly litigation.
SB 873 (Jackson; D-Santa Barbara) Gender Discrimination: Pricing – The bill prohibits price differences for two substantially similar products that are intended for or marketed to different genders. CalChamber has identified SB 873 (Jackson) as a job killer because it includes a private right of action with a minimum of $4,000 in damages per alleged violation, which will expose small and large businesses to a flurry of costly litigation for claims that two products are substantially similar, even though they may be different, and that any price differential is based on gender, when it is actually based upon legitimate non-gender related reasons.
The California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) is the largest broad-based business advocate to government in California. Membership represents one-quarter of the private sector jobs in California and includes firms of all sizes and companies from every industry within the state. Leveraging our front-line knowledge of laws and regulations, we provide products and services to help businesses comply with both federal and state law. CalChamber, a not-for-profit organization with roots dating to 1890, promotes international trade and investment in order to stimulate California’s economy and create jobs. Please visit our website at www.calchamber.com
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