When it comes to industrial manufacturing, it is the commitment to quality and safety that sets companies like Shree Engineering apart. This is the type of assurance that clients and others in the industry have come to expect from the company throughout their more than 20 years in business. Having a focus on these important characteristics is what has allowed the company to succeed. Putting such a high value on quality and safety means that the company must also consider its collective responsibility to comply with the laws regulating employment. Among these employment laws and regulations, following each of California’s legally required employee benefits can help uphold the high-quality standards of the company by keeping the workforce effective and safe. California law requires employers with employees based in the state to provide six types of employee benefits, which include:
An important part of upholding quality standards and Shree Engineering’s reputation among clients and others in the industry is ensuring that all of these employee benefits are offered and administered in a way that agrees with California’s laws defining the minimum value of each benefit. To help achieve this goal, affected employers can seek specific guidance from legal counsel, who can help navigate the process to remain compliant while remaining focused on quality and safety. Quality assurance involves thinking ahead about the practices of a firm and learning what can be done to continue meeting the demands of clients, which is one reason why business operating in industrial manufacturing should take the legally required employee benefits seriously. For example, if a company provides health insurance with monthly premiums that are lower than those considered minimum value, then the employer must pay its share of the excess premium. Paying for an employee’s hospital visit that is covered by an insurance carrier is certainly a worthwhile investment that promotes safety, so by adhering to the minimum value, the company can help ensure that meets its goals. Moreover, the visibility of quality assurance is sure to build client trust and position the company favorably when they must make decisions about subcontracting work to other firms. For example, a company that can show its strict compliance with the entire package of legally required employee benefits in California by exceeding minimum value for group health plans might be more likely to win contracts than an employer that does not. This is arguably part of the reason why total production for said industry has increased to 59.4 in June 2023 and is projected to reach 64.1 in December 2023. Ensuring that the company is exceeding minimum value requirements for group health plans, paid sick days, and paid family leave is only possible when the company is fully aware of the requirements of the law. Given that the laws change frequently, company owners must remain vigilant in reviewing their policies, or seek legal guidance on how to implement them. In March 2023, the most recent law regulating California’s legally required employee benefits went into effect. It requires employers to provide a lump-sum pension benefit of $5,000 for new employees with 24 months or more of service if the individual becomes disabled. Additionally, employers must notify new employees of this law. E-Verify is yet another benefit that engineering companies like Shree Engineering should focus on upholding. The benefits of using the program to confirm employment legally will allow engineering companies to safely grow their workforce while adhering to occupational health and safety (OSHA) standards. It is certainly essential to the ongoing success of Shree Engineering and other members of the industrial manufacturing industry to respect and follow deadlines involving all types of benefits. Staying in step with California’s laws may seem like a small issue, but it is actually a big determining factor for several members of Shree Engineering’s target market and others that rely on these high-demand services.