As we have previously noted, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires a poster for all employees of the employer’s obligation to provide their employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. These provisions will apply from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.  The poster is now available and attached. Please post immediately.

Click Here For Poster

Recently, Congress passed and the President signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act for those impacted by COVID-19.  This Act imposes emergency paid sick leave and family medical leave requirements on employers from April 2, 2020 until December 31, 2020.   The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently announced its first round of published guidance to provide information to employees and employers about how each will be able to take advantage of the protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when it takes effect on April 1, 2020.  The FFCRA will give all American businesses with fewer than 500 employees, funds to provide employees with paid leave, either for the employee’s own health needs or to care for family members.  The guidance – provided in a Fact Sheet for Employees, a Fact Sheet for Employers and a Questions and Answers document – addresses critical questions, such as how an employer must count the number of their employees to determine coverage; how small businesses can obtain an exemption; how to count hours for part-time employees; and how to calculate the wages employees are entitled to under this law.   There is also a workplace poster required for most employers that will be published later this week, along with additional fact sheets and more Q&A.

Recently, Congress passed and the President signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act for those impacted by COVID-19.  This Act imposes emergency paid sick leave and family medical leave requirements on employers from April 2, 2020 until December 31, 2020.  Attached is a summary of the Act and its requirements that you as employers need to be aware of. Click here for the link.

• How much information may an employer request from an employee who calls in sick, in order to protect the rest of its workforce when an influenza pandemic appears imminent?
• When may an ADA-covered employer take the body temperature of employees during a pandemic?
• Does the ADA allow employers to require employees to stay home if they have symptoms of the pandemic influenza virus?
• When employees return to work, does the ADA allow employers to require doctors’ notes certifying their fitness for duty?

Dear Members,
This is to notify you that the City of Fresno, where our offices are located, has issued a “shelter in place order” effective at 12:01 tonight through at least March 31^st.   The adoption of the ordinance was deemed necessary out of an abundance of caution to stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus.   For the past week most of the staff has been telecommuting anyway, but this action by the City closes the office.  The staff will continue to work on your behalf, and provide the services you have come to expect, albeit remotely from our homes.  You can reach us via our cell phones, and as a reminder our business cards include our cell phone numbers.  If you have any issues, or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to evolve, the Association has put together an advisory on workplace preventative measures to put into workplaces.  These recommendations are advisory in nature and intended to assist our members in providing a safe and healthful workplace.  We have also provided additional resources from OSHA Guidance on COVID-19 www.osha.gov/covid-19 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the latest information about COVID-19 and the global outbreak www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov. Should you have any questions, please give us a call.

Click here for the advisory.

By now you have all heard of the Governor’s Executive Order to “Stay in Shelter”. We want to make you aware that agriculture and companies that support agriculture are exempt. The Governor’s Order clearly references new guidance just released by the Department of Homeland Security that classifies agriculture and the business that support agriculture as “essential critical infrastructure” that must be maintained. Therefore, your operations will continue to be allowed to operate. That guidance lists the following as essential:

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

• Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other retail that sells food and beverage products
• Restaurant carry-out and quick serve food operations – Carry-out and delivery food employees
• Food manufacturer employees and their supplier employees—to include those employed in food processing(packers, meat processing, cheese plants, milk plants, produce, etc.) facilities; livestock, poultry, seafood slaughter facilities; pet and animal feed processing facilities; human food facilities producing by-products for animal food; beverage production facilities; and the production of food packaging
• Farm workers to include those employed in animal food, feed, and ingredient production, packaging, and distribution; manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of veterinary drugs; truck delivery and transport; farm and fishery labor needed to produce our food supply domestically
• Farm workers and support service workers to include those who field crops; commodity inspection; fuel ethanol facilities; storage facilities; and other agricultural inputs
• Employees and firms supporting food, feed, and beverage distribution, including warehouse workers, vendor-managed inventory controllers and blockchain managers
• Workers supporting the sanitation of all food manufacturing processes and operations from wholesale to retail
• Company cafeterias – in-plant cafeterias used to feed employees
• Workers in food testing labs in private industries and in institutions of higher education
• Workers essential for assistance programs and government payments
• Employees of companies engaged in the production of chemicals, medicines, vaccines, and other substances used by the food and agriculture industry, including pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, minerals, enrichments, and other agricultural production aids
• Animal agriculture workers to include those employed in veterinary health; manufacturing and distribution of animal medical materials, animal vaccines, animal drugs, feed ingredients, feed, and bedding, etc.; transportation of live animals, animal medical materials; transportation of deceased animals for disposal; raising of animals for food; animal production operations; slaughter and packing plants and associated regulatory and government workforce
• Workers who support the manufacture and distribution of forest products, including, but not limited to timber, paper, and other wood products
• Employees engaged in the manufacture and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure necessary to agricultural production and distribution

Furthermore, we are aware of instances where workers have been stopped by law enforcement in counties where “shelter in place” ordinances have been adopted. For those situations we have attached a sample letter you can provide each of your employees with in case that happens. [click here for sample letter]

Given the evolving situation with coronavirus (COVID-19), we wanted to communicate with our members and clients the Cal/OSHA guidance document to protect workers from exposure to airborne infectious diseases, such as the coronavirus.  We have included links to the Cal/OSHA Interim Guidelines for General Industry on 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). These interim guidelines are subject to change as the situation evolves.  Click here for the Cal/OSHA webpage and here for the Cal/OSHA Interim Guidelines for General Industry on COVID-19 (PDF).  The Association will continue to update members and clients on additional information for preventing exposure to the coronavirus.

It’s time for the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association’s 2020 Annual Meeting!  The 2020 Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 13^th at the Visalia Convention Center.

Registration, Continental Breakfast and the Exhibitor Session will begin at 7:30 am.  The actual information packed program will begin with Breakout Sessions at 8:30 am and will end with lunch.

Please call our office at (559) 252-0684 should you have any questions regarding this event.  We look forward to seeing you in Visalia at our 2020 Annual Meeting!

CCGGA Annual Meeting Registration and Agenda

Nine California cotton industry members have been elected to leadership positions in the National Cotton Council (NCC) for 2020, including Kirk Gilkey, who was re-elected a NCC vice president.

Mark McKean and Tom Pires were re-elected as NCC directors.

Cotton Council International (CCI), NCC’s export promotions arm, elected Ted Sheely as first vice president, and re-elected Carlo Bocardo, Calcot, and Ernie Schroeder, Jr., Jess Smith and Son, as CCI directors.

McKean also was elected as chairman of the NCC’s American Cotton Producers (ACP) and as the ACP’s at-large director. Bryan Bone was elected as the ACP’s California chairman.

The NCC’s California unit re-elected Bone as chairman, Joe Cain as vice chairman; and Charles Meyer, III as secretary.

The leaders were named at the recent 2020 NCC Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.

As the unifying force of the U.S. cotton industry, the Memphis-based NCC brings together industry representatives from the 17 cotton-producing states to establish policies reflecting the common interests and promoting mutual benefits for its broad membership and ancillary industries. The NCC’s mission is ensuring the ability of all industry segments to compete effectively and profitably in the raw cotton, oilseed, and U.S.-manufactured product markets at home and abroad.