(April 20, 2010) A California Chamber of Commerce-sponsored bill that would have provided a simplified process for establishing flexible work schedules was rejected by a Senate committee yesterday.

SB 1335 (Cox; R-Fair Oaks/Dutton; R-Rancho Cucamonga) provided a simplified, voluntary way for establishing flexible work schedules, and would have created a win-win-win for employees, employers and the environment by promoting better work-life balance, improved workplace productivity and retention, and reduced traffic and greenhouse gases.

Although the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee heard testimony on the bill last week, a vote was not taken at that time because of absent committee members.

Business Community Support

Brian Hawley

The business community expressed strong support of this “job creator” bill. Letters urging committee members to approve SB 1335 came from 34 local chambers of commerce, and numerous trade associations.

In addition, two employers appeared before the committee on April 14 to testify in support of and elaborate on the need for this legislation.

In testimony to the committee, Brian Hawley, chairman and chief financial officer of Luminex Software, which has offices in both Riverside and San Diego, emphasized the important message that SB 1335 sends to employers about job creation and to employees about their individual needs.

“You are telling the employers that you really do want us doing business in California, and not moving or expanding operations in other states which follow more flexible guidelines," Hawley said. “More importantly, you are telling employees that you really do care about their needs.”

Hawley explained to the committee that without this bill Luminex is unable to accommodate reasonable requests from its employees to work flexible schedules that are more conducive to the employees’ needs.

“It’s frustrating to both employers and employees that something mutually agreeable, perfectly reasonable and very common sense is so difficult to achieve,” he said.

(left to right) Greg Gierczak and CalChamber Policy Advocate Kyla Christoffersen

Greg Gierczak, executive director of external relations for SureWest Communications (SureWest) from Roseville, emphasized to the committee that restrictive rules, like the current overtime law, affect business and investment decisions for California companies.

Summarizing for the committee why SB 1335 really is a job creator, Gierczak said, “It really comes to the issue of when we have to make investments in California or in other states where we operate, we have to consider those rules; is it better to put our investment dollars in other states that are more flexible and easygoing and less costly to run?”

Key Vote

SB 1335 failed to pass Senate Labor and Industrial Relations on a party-line vote of 2-4 on April 19.

Ayes: Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta), Wyland (R-Carlsbad).

Noes: DeSaulnier (D-Concord), Ducheny (D-San Diego), Leno (D-San Francisco), Yee (D-San Francisco).

Staff Contact: Kyla Christoffersen 

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