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Monday, Apr 20, 2026

Mild Expectations for May Day Protest

By JOEL RUSSELL

A majority of California companies plan for business as usual on May 1 despite a scheduled workers’ boycott to protest the immigration bill now in Congress, according to a survey by a human resources association.

A survey by of 620 companies by Employers Group, a human resource association for employers, found that 85% expect to maintain normal business operations.

But 42% of responding companies may experience staffing disruptions, and 23% reported a higher than average number of employee requests for the day off. A solid 87% of companies will not change their time-off policy to deal with the boycott.

Nearly half (48%) of companies have not communicated their time-off policies to employees in relation to May 1, while 38% have. Another 14% have taken an informal policy to deal with absences on a case-by-case basis.

“The survey reveals that if anything, employers are holding their breath and not adjusting their time-off policy,” said Juan Garcia, director of research services for Employers Group. “Companies are well aware of the issues surrounding May 1, but for now they are taking a wait-and-see policy.

The survey did find that 66% of the companies will consider working with minimal staff.


Russell is a staff writer with the Los Angeles Business Journal.

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