The U.S. State Department has addressed the H-2A issue that was created when the U.S. suspended routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing services in Mexico in response to the COVID-19 …
Understanding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was recently signed by President Donald Trump as a means for supporting employees impacted by COVID-19. The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour …
Questions Remain as AB-5 Implementation Takes Shape
The agriculture community has many questions regarding AB-5 implementation and how that is going to affect common farming practices. The nature of the farming business makes the application of the …
New Joint Employer Liability Guidelines Effective in March
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has recently issued an update to the definition of what constitutes joint employer liability. While the new ‘four-factor balancing test’ updates the regulation officially, …
Ag Groups Urge Action After Adverse Effect Wage Rate Increase
A group of agricultural organizations known collectively as the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) is calling on Congress to address concerns related to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate. The coalition which …
Ag Labor Bill Continues Forward Momentum in Congress
The ag labor bill known as the Farm Workforce Modernization Act was passed by the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 18-12 last week. The next step in the …
Agriculture Industry Experiences Most Workplace Fatalities in 2019
According to data from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), the agricultural industry has experienced the highest number of workplace fatalities in 2019 as of November. The National …
New Lighting Requirements for Agriculture Arriving by Next Harvest
The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is moving quickly on implementing lighting requirements for agricultural operations working at night. The concept for updating nighttime regulations for lighting dates …
Significant Support for Farm Workforce Modernization Act
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 that was introduced by Representatives Zoe Lofgren and Dan Newhouse is receiving significant support from the agricultural industry. The bipartisan bill seeks to …
Farmworker Housing Bill: ‘No farmer is going to use this.’
Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 1783 (AB 1783) into law, significantly altering how farmworker housing will be administered in California. AB 1783, the Farmworker Housing Act of 2019, …
New 2020 Requirements for Reporting Injuries
Assembly Bill 1804 has updated the requirements for reporting injuries to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA). The changes are being implemented in an effort to simplify …
‘Increase in Citations’ Expected with Labor Code Changes from AB 1805
Assembly Bill 1805 (AB 1805) made two significant changes to the labor code by revising the definition of ‘serious injury or illness’ and ‘serious exposure.’ The bill broadens the scope …
More Stringent Air Quality Standards on The Way
Air quality standards could become even more strict as a new proposal is making its way through the regulatory process. Back in July, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health …
Mitigate Liability Risk by Vetting Your Farm Labor Contractor
Working with a farm labor contractor to supply the necessary workforce on a farming operation does not eliminate the liability risk for the grower in the event of an accident. …