By Douglas Fruehling | Mar 17, 2020
Update: Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Tuesday evening suspending the requirements of reporting COVID-19-related layoffs under the state’s WARN act from March 4 through the end of the emergency.
The California hotel industry is asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to suspend the reporting requirements under the state’s WARN law and delay implementation of annual increases in the minimum wage, citing hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lynn Mohrfeld, president and CEO of the California Hotel and Lodging Association, said those items are among a series of economic measures the industry group wants implemented as it grapples with the abrupt slowdown in travel and hotel bookings.
The California WARN Act requires employers with 75 or more employees to give a 60-day notice before layoffs occur to help employees and communities adjust and prepare. Employers who violate the act can be subject to up to $500 a day in civil penalties.