Announcements: "ANTHRAX" A free video is available from the Public Health Foundation. To get a copy call 1-877-252- 1200; by fax, (301) 843-0159; by email info@phf.org. April 6th, 2003 - Daylight Savings Time Turn your clocks ahead one hour at 2:00am The California Staffing Professional of 2003 is Diane Skullr, CTS Disclaimer: This is a SUMMARY & does NOT include every detail. There may be penalties for non-compliance. We recommend that you seek legal advice specific to your company before any action is taken on any information contained in this newsletter DEC, as publisher, is not responsible for any damages resulting from any error, inaccuracy or omission in this publication LEGISLATIVE UPDATE The 2003-04 legislature in California consists of 25 Democrats and 15 Republicans in the Senate & the Assembly has 48 Democrats and 32 Republicans. SB 2 (Speier), requires California employers to provide health insurance to all employees and their dependents or pay a tax. SB 921 (Kuehl), sets up a single state-run health insurance plan to be funded by a payroll tax on all employers, employees, the self-employed and recipients of unearned income, plus taxes on tobacco and alcohol. AB 30 (Richman) Expands the Healthy Families Program to include employed childless adults who are uninsured for health care coverage and who meet certain household income requirements. AB 276 (Koretz) Increases fines of 158 different Labor Code misdemeanors violations up to 500 percent. AB 880 (Diaz) charges sales tax on invoices for temporary employees. SBx1 (Poochigian) proposes to repeal a number of bills AB 749 (2002), boosting workers’ compensation Insurance rates by $3.5 billion. AB 2816 (2002), requiring temporary employee placement services to provide workers’ compensation insurance based on the modification rate of their client and not the job safety record of the employment company. AB 2509 (2002), increases employers’ costs by ensuring local governments may use state funding to establish & enforce local employment-related rules, fines and penalties. SB 975 (2001), requiring prevailing wages to be paid on any private project that receives assistance from the state. AB 60 (1999), removing flexibility for employers and employees by mandating overtime pay after eight hours of work in a day. SB 1014 (Aanestad) delays a mandate requiring hospitals to make expensive seismic retrofits by specific dates until there are sufficient funds to provide assistance to hospitals in meeting the mandate. AB 1686 - (Pacheco) a dispute resolution bill designed to fairly and quickly resolve and reduce disputes with health plans regarding unfair billing practices.. To express your opinion – Contact the Governor at 916-445-0131 or click on the California Legislation Button on the DEC Website at www.decpersonnel.com CPR & First Aid Class - Saturday 5/24 $40.00 includes lunch GET your CPR and First Aid Certification in Cerritos on May 24th. The Gahr High School Color Guard is hosting this event as a fundraiser. Your American Heart Association certification card will be provided to you upon successful completion of the class. For more information, please contact Angelica Arias at DEC at 714-681-7434 or call Coy Allen, Band Director at 526-926-5566. MGMA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2003 The California Medical Group Managers Association “Come Together” Annual Conference is scheduled for March 23rd through March 25th at The Westin in Long Beach. For information go to www.camgma.com or call 1-805-650-6724 WHY NOT USE THE INTERNET TO FIND EMPLOYEES? ISN'T THAT FASTER AND LESS COSTLY? The Internet can be used as an alternative tool for sourcing candidates, but it will never replace the role a recruiter or staffing professional plays in screening and testing for viable candidates. The Internet provides only paper. Professionals from staffing services evaluate the variables that can't be seen on paper. Human contact should never be devalued when it comes to determining the appropriate human capital needs for an employer. Staffing companies are in the business of finding candidates and aligning their skills with the needs of their clients. Having the skill, knowledge and expertise to complete these tasks inevitably save time, which ultimately becomes a cost savings to client companies (the employer). CALIFORNIA'S WORKERS' COMP PREMIUMS HIGHEST IN THE NATION Workers’ compensation premium rates in California have jumped upward since 1994 to lead the nation, according to a new study. States bordering on California rank far lower on the state-by-state comparison of average filed workers’ compensation rates compiled by the Oregon. California, ranked 15th in 1994, 13th in 1996, first in 1998 and third in 2000. For complete rankings go to www.calchamber.com/images/workcomp_table2-03.gif MEDICARE 2003 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule - Revised national physician fee schedule payment amounts, based on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule published on 2/28/03, are available in a downloadable file at http://cms.hhs.gov/providers/pufdownload/default.asp#pfspayment ... Instead of a negative 4.4% update, Medicare will implement a positive 1.6% update effective March 1, 2003. All physicians and practitioners now have until April 14, 2003, to make their 2003 Medicare participation decision HIPPAA April 16, 2003 testing deadline for electronic transactions and code sets. For a direct link to the CMS website, click here For the California HealthCare Foundation, click here Employees on Military Leave Must Be Reinstated Upon Return Since 1994, the Federal law, USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment & Reemployment Rights Act) has been in effect. Requires employers to accommodate employees who are absent from their jobs for military service. (Email Subscribers click here for more information) Why is Recruiter Certification Important? Credibility. It is really no different than working with a certified accountant or certified instructor. CSP offers classes & examinations for professional placement recruiters to earn an important seal of excellence. CSP has created a structure for industry self-regulation to emphasize best business practices and high professional standards, a must for today's selective clients and companies. Certification ensures that staffing professionals are knowledgeable and tested on the most current employment law and procedures. Simply put, working with certified professionals keeps clients out of trouble. Certification means the recruiter is aware of the do's and don'ts of employment law and will not jeopardize or embarrass the client company during the hiring process. (NOTE: All placement consultants at DEC are certified!) FINAL PAYCHECK The time requirement for a final paycheck varies on whether the employee quit or was terminated. Quit – more than 72hrs notice: All wages and accrued vacation earned but unpaid are due and payable on the last day of work. (Labor Code Section 202) Quit – less than 72hrs notice: All wages and accrued vacation earned but are due and payable not later than 72 hours after notice is given. An employee who gives fewer than 72 hours notice is entitled to receive his/her final wage payment by mail if he/she so requests and designates a mailing address. The date of mailing is considered the date of payment for purposes of the 72 hour requirement. (Section 202) Terminated - All wages and accrued vacation earned but unpaid are due and payable immediately. You may not require an employee to wait until the next regular payday for final wages. You may not withhold a final paycheck. For example, it is illegal to withhold a final paycheck to to: Return tools, uniforms, pagers, laptop computers, keys, or any other items belonging to the employer Pay back money that may be owed to the employer. FYI & Just for Fun Links 1) www.nabco.org National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations Stats and early detection tips. 2) www.allaboutfrogs.org Art, coloring pages, jokes, facts & FAQ’s 3) Bizarre law: It’s illegal in Massachusetts to put pants on a goat 4) www.timeanddate.com past, present & future and time zone info. 5) Physician profiles have been available on the California Medical Board website (www.medbd.ca.gov) since 1997, as required by Business and Professions Code sections 2027 and 803.1. Physicians should check their profiles for accuracy and advise the board of any changes or corrections, especially changes to their addresses of record. To back-page, Use your browser BACK button