Changes in California Employment Laws for 2014

There are important changes in California and other states which may affect your business or organization, Some of the major new laws are: limits on how long you can make employees wait to be eligible to join your company health plan (60 days); an increase in CA – or other – minimum wage; some new laws regarding discrimination protecting veterans and illegal workers; laws regarding leaves and time off (particularly in San Francisco) and also be aware of a new obligation to always timely respond to EDD or unemployment claim information requests.
One of these changes is a new maximum 60 day waiting period for health plans: AB 1083 was passed in 2012, but takes effect January 1,2014 – has reduced the typical new employee waiting period for health benefits from 90 calendar days to 60 calendar days. Beginning on 1/1/2014, a health plan contract cannot apply a waiting period longer than 60 days before coverage starts. California Insurance Code (section 10198.7(c) and the Health and Safety Code (section 1357.51(c) , both of which govern large and small group insurance policies