The LA County Board of Supervisors (BOS) is looking for additional ways to add new burdens to small businesses.
The board is considering forcing businesses to create "public health councils" composed of employees at their places of work. Read the motion and county report
here.
This means:
- ALL businesses would be forced to allow their employees to organize and report any potential violations to a "third party organization" contracted with the county.
- This unidentified "third party organization" would visit your business to determine what violations, if any, exist.
- The "third party organizations" will also report perceived violations to the Department of Public Health - without specification if the business will have a chance to defend or implement changes without penalty.
- The Board of Supervisors has not addressed employee privacy rights or state and federal employee relations procedures and would be improperly empowering the Certified Third Parties to conduct (directly or through their guidance and oversight of the Health Councils) unfettered searches of employer records and information.
Neither the BOS motion or the Health Department report contains specifics as to how they will choose the third-party organization, if they are qualified, how they will be trained to identify any potential violations, and how much work time will be required of the employees to monitor, record and implement.
At a time when businesses are cash strapped and struggling, now is not the time to add burdensome and convoluted programs that will further hinder an employer’s ability to meet demands, get back on their feet, and adequately serve their employees and customers.
We urge you to let the County Board of Supervisors know you
OPPOSE this concept and support other means to monitor compliance.
If you have any questions regarding this issue, please contact
Sarah.Wiltfong@bizfed.org.
In Your Corner,
Tracy Hernandez
Founding CEO, BizFed
