Amazon.com Inc. is expanding its transportation prowess to do virtually everything short of building a car. While Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has said little publicly about the company's ambitions in the sector, the strategy is aimed at leveraging Amazon's strengths in logistics, cloud computing and digital services together with new interests in related fields from robotics to manufacturing, according to more than two dozen people, including Amazon executives and industry executives familiar with the strategy, and a Reuters analysis of Amazon's patent activity. Read more here: Getting under the Hood of Amazon's Auto Ambitions | Newsmax.com. Source: NEWSMAXFINANCE

A free consumer vehicle check-up event will be held in Sacramento on Saturday, August 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the AutoZone parking lot at 6071 Florin Road at the corner of Stockton Boulevard and Florin Road. 

Hosted by the non-profit Car Care Council in conjunction with CAWA - Representing the Automotive Parts Industry, the event will feature free vehicle inspections conducted by volunteer technicians who will check such items as hoses, belts, battery, wiper blades, lights, tire pressure, engine oil and fluids. All attendees will receive a gift bag and a copy of the 80-page Car Care Guide. Other events will be held in the central valley and southern California later this year. 

See Jennifer Zins, CAWA's Director of Government Affairs, at [email protected] or 916.871.0603. For details on the upcoming event click here.

I hired a number of employees to work on a short-term project for me. I classified them as "temporary" and therefore not eligible for benefits (other than paid sick leave). The project keeps getting extended though, and many of those employees have now been working for me for several months. At what point do I have to fire them or make them regular full-time employees?

There is no specific time limit on how long a worker may be classified as "temporary." However, if temporary employees have been performing the same job duties as regular full-time employees for an extended period, but are ineligible for the benefits those other employees receive, their employer could face liability. Read more here. Source: Our Friends at the California Chamber of Commerce

Effective January 1, 2019, California employers with 5 or more employees (including those located out of state) are required to provide sexual harassment prevention training to all employees before January 1, 2020. The minimum count of "5" employees includes seasonal and temporary hires as well as independent contractors.

That's 2 hours of sexual harassment prevention training to California supervisors (and to out-of-state supervisors of California employees), and 1 hour of such training to nonsupervisory employees in California. Training must take place within 6 months of hire or promotion and every 2 years thereafter. To comply with the January 1, 2020 deadline, all employees must be trained during the 2019 calendar year.

Recall, training is FREE to CAWA members through our partners at CoreMark Insurance. Some organizations are charging $25 or more to conduct this training for your employees. For further information, contact Mat Nabity at [email protected] or 866.340.2247.

See here for a brief reminder https://youtu.be/FeWGvNJcMrc

CAWA - Representing the Automotive Parts Industry

Tell us how we are doing by writing to [email protected]. Thanks for your membership.

Act quickly if you receive a notice - don't wait! U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued thousands of Form I-9 audit notices this summer. As ICE worksite enforcement continues to increase, California employers need to keep in mind state requirements when served with a Form I-9 audit notice. California's Immigrant Worker Protection Act has been in effect since January 2018 and, even though the Department of Justice challenged the law, California employers have several notice obligations when facing an ICE audit/inspection. 

For more information on your obligations click on this link https://hrwatchdog.calchamber.com/2019/08/ice-heats-up-form-i-9-audits-what-california-employers-need-if-notice/    Source: Our friends at the California Chamber of Commerce

It's a $405 billion dollar industry and is expected to reach $448 billion by 2022! 

In 2018, 21.9% of consumers delayed routine vehicle maintenance costing the industry $24.9 billion dollars in potential revenue! 

See more facts about the industry ( here). Source: Auto Care Association Factbook

See the enclosed flyer ( here) for information and who to contact to begin lowering your workers compensation costs in California. Another member benefit.