Robert Moutrie
Robert Moutrie joined the CalChamber in March 2019 as a policy advocate. He leads CalChamber advocacy on occupational safety, tourism, unemployment insurance and immigration. Moutrie has represented clients on matters such as consumer fraud litigation, civil rights, employment law claims, tort claims, and other business-related issues in federal and state courts. He previously served as an associate attorney at the Oakland-based firm of Meyers, Nave, Riback, Silver & Wilson. Moutrie earned a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. with honors from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. See full bio.
New COVID-19 Emergency Regulation Amendments Coming from Cal/OSHA
In a development that every employer in California should be watching closely, Cal/OSHA released the new proposed text (“amendments”) for California’s COVID-19 emergency temporary...
Rising Payroll Taxes Coming to Shore Up California’s Pandemic-Depleted UI Fund
As the 2021 crop of legislation is coming into form and moving through legislative committees addressing a range of topics, one topic is conspicuously...
State Lags Behind New CDC Guidelines for Vaccinated and Unvaccinated People
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance on social contact and when quarantining is required for vaccinated people.
California...
Cal/OSHA Gathering Feedback on COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard
The Cal/OSHA advisory committee’s February meetings on the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) offer some hints as to the future of California’s ETS.
CalChamber Endorses Effort to Open Schools Safely and Soon
The time has come for the Legislature to join Governor Gavin Newsom in finalizing an agreement to reopen California public schools.
Governor Newsom has laid...
CalChamber Urges Pull Back of Emergency COVID-19 Emergency Regulations
The California Chamber of Commerce urged the California Legislature yesterday to correct a series of costly COVID-19 workplace mandates imposed through an emergency regulation...
Legislature and Governor Must Act to Prevent California Employers from Paying for EDD’s Mistakes
Whenever something goes wrong – whenever something is lost or damaged – the question is always the same: who gets stuck holding the bag?...
Streamlined Work Sharing Program Offers Alternative to Layoffs
As California businesses continue to struggle to maintain their workforces during COVID-related closing and reopenings, employers should keep in mind California’s underutilized work share...
CalChamber Asks Cal/OSHA to Delay Enforcing Emergency COVID-19 Rules
The California Chamber of Commerce is urging the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to delay enforcement of the emergency COVID-19 rules.
The...
Update on Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Regulations
As we head into the new year, California continues to see a surge in the number of COVID-19 infections, and some employers are starting...
The Gift that Congress Needs to Give – Unemployment Insurance Assistance
Happy Holidays to all of our readers. In the spirit of the holidays and charity, I want to discuss California’s unemployment insurance fund (UI)...
Registered, Researched, and Ready to Vote! – A Quick Primer on Getting Ready for...
With the November 3rd election just weeks away, now seems like the right time to talk about some basic voting information you may need...
AB 1731 Provides Rare Win-Win Option for California’s Businesses and Workers During Economic Downturn
As the 2020 legislative season comes to a close, we can certainly say it has been a chaotic time for employers. One bright spot...
Cal/OSHA Standards Board Requests COVID-19 Draft Emergency Regulation with Limited Opportunity for Stakeholder Input
Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board voted to grant, in part, Petition 583, which sought the creation of a COVID-19 emergency regulation for industries not already covered...
Still No Clear Compliance Path for Wildfire Smoke Regulation
In the midst of COVID-19, it is easy to forget the host of other regulations and obligations with which businesses must comply in California....
CalChamber Raises Questions on Feasibility of Wildfire Smoke Rules
The California Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of employer groups this week voiced concerns about the feasibility of the wildfire smoke protection emergency...
How to Stay Sane While Stuck Inside During an Insane Time
As businesses, non-profits, schools, and even governing bodies have shifted towards working remotely to comply with social distancing guidelines from Governor Newsom, even healthy...
Big Picture Changes to Unemployment Insurance, Related Benefits under CARES Act
This brief summarizes unemployment benefits available in California, as updated by the federal CARES Act, passed by Congress on March 25, 2020.
The CARES Act...
California Businesses Retool and Donate to Help Fight Coronavirus (COVID-19)
COVID-19 has brought unprecedented difficulties to California and the nation—but chief among them is highlighting a shortage in health care-critical supplies.
Surprise! 2020 Promises More Workplace Regulations for California’s Employers
2019 brought some big changes under Cal/OSHA, and 2020 is virtually certain to bring new obligations for employers confronting some very hot new issues--including...