FLEXIBLE WORKWEEKS
During its March 1, 2022 meeting, the Chamber voted to support AB-1761, which would permit an individual, non-exempt employee to request an employee-selected flexible work schedule providing for workdays up to 10 hours per day within a 40-hour workweek.
The proposed legislation authored by Assembly Member Voepel (R-San Diego) would allow an employer to implement this schedule without the obligation to pay overtime compensation for those additional 2 hours in a workday. Employers would be obligated to pay overtime past the 10 hours mark, and double overtime past the 12 hours mark.
The Alhambra Chamber of Commerce is joining a coalition led by the CalChamber to support this proposal. The coalition believes this bill would allow more flexibility in the workplace to meet increasingly flexible work demands. Existing law requires employers to pay overtime to employees who work over 8 hours in a day. However, there are many circumstances in which employees may need to work extra hours on a particular day and fewer hours on another (e.g.: meeting schedules, unforeseen deadlines, etc.).
This bill would allow for employees to request a daily work schedule, amounting to 40 hours a week, that better matches their needs. Employers would not have to pay overtime based on an 8-hour work day, as long as the employee fulfills their 40 hour-per-week time requirement.
SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES TO-GO
On March 1, 2022, the Alhambra Chamber announced its support for SB-846, a State bill that would authorize a licensee with onsite alcohol sales privileges to deliver alcoholic beverages to consumers away from the licensed premises until December 31, 2026.
This bill allows the customer to pick up an order directly from the restaurant or bar, or the beverages may be delivered to the customer directly. The proposed legislation also would eliminate the requirement that the sale of alcohol to be picked-up/delivered include the purchase of food.
The Chamber supports this proposed law because restaurants, bars, and pubs have been severely affected by the pandemic, and experienced above-average revenues decline compared to other industries.
Having the ability to sell to-go alcoholic beverages helps these businesses generate more revenue and continue to provide jobs in our community. Additionally, bars and pubs that do not sell food had been excluded from the existing pandemic-related exception that allows customers to purchase to-go drinks with a meal. This bill would fix this problem and help these establishments in our city.
