Worker Pay at Issue With California Permanent Covid Proposal

Pay for essential workers told to stay away from their workplaces because of possible on-the-job Covid-19 exposure is just one sticking point as California safety regulators consider adopting a “permanent” Covid-19 rule.

That and other issues came up during the first public hearing Thursday on a proposed Covid standard that would replace the state’s nearly two-year-old emergency standard covering most employers, beginning Jan. 1. The only state-regulated industry excluded from the standard is health care, which has separate requirements for disease prevention.

Employer and worker advocates highlighted several contentious issues the California Occupational Safety and Health Standard Board and the ...