HF 4430 Summary

• Creates a displaced grocery worker program requiring incumbent grocery employers to notify successor employers of eligible employees at least 15 days before a change in control, including providing employee lists and posting notices at the establishment.

• Requires successor grocery employers to retain all eligible grocery employees (those employed at least 6 months at stores exceeding 20,000 square feet where food sales comprise 50% or more of revenue) for a 90-day transitional employment period without cause for discharge.

• Successor employers must retain employees by seniority within job categories if reducing the workforce and maintain a preferential hiring list for laid-off employees who have first refusal rights to any available positions during the transition period.

• Establishes civil penalties ranging from $500 to $1,000 for violations by incumbent or successor employers, with remedies including triple pay for discharged employees, lost benefits, and attorney fees for prevailing parties in civil actions.

• Excludes successor employers from requirements if they enter into a collective bargaining agreement covering the affected employees on or before the effective date of the ownership change; effective August 1, 2020.