Now that the California legislative session is essentially over and Governor Newsom has taken action to either approve or veto all the workplace law bills on his desk, employers can take stock on all the new laws that will...more
10/2/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
California ,
Construction Industry ,
Crime Victims ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Free Speech ,
Freelance Workers ,
Governor Newsom ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Heat Exposure ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Legislation ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Injury
California lawmakers knocked back a chance to pass a groundbreaking AI discrimination that would have required employers to provide notification – and perhaps an accommodation – to workers when artificial intelligence is used...more
With the August 31 deadline having come and gone, the California Legislature has completed its work for the year and sent all bills on to Governor Newsom’s desk. Now all eyes turn to the Governor as he has until September 30...more
9/4/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
California ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Governor Newsom ,
Labor Relations ,
New Legislation ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Although a government shutdown was averted in September, the stopgap funding bill lasts only through November 17 – meaning that the federal government will shut down if Congress cannot reach an agreement by then. How will...more
The executive order on artificial intelligence issued by the White House yesterday is the federal government’s most ambitious attempt to date to corral this burgeoning technology – and contains numerous items of interest for...more
10/31/2023
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Big Tech ,
Copyright ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Green Cards ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Reform ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Job Market ,
Manufacturers ,
OFCCP ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
U.S. Treasury ,
US State Departments
California employers know that the new year inevitably brings new workplace laws that are finalized at the end of the state’s legislative session in the fall. This year, state lawmakers considered over 2,700 bills – the most...more
10/16/2023
/ Appeals ,
Arbitration ,
Automatic Stay ,
California ,
Caregivers ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Brokers ,
Data Deletion ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Governor Newsom ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Layoffs ,
Minimum Wage ,
Motion to Compel ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Leave ,
Registration Requirement ,
Remote Working ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Strike ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Violence ,
Workplace Violence Prevention Programs
If Congress cannot approve a budget by October 1, the federal government will shut down. What will this mean for employers across the country? A look back at the most recent government shutdown will provide lessons on what...more
California employers will want to sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and prepare themselves for the avalanche on new employment laws that may soon be coming their way. The state Legislature just completed its work for 2023 in a...more
9/18/2023
/ Caregivers ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Governor Newsom ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Layoffs ,
Minimum Wage ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pending Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Strike ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Violence
Employers faced unprecedented challenges over the last few years when it comes to attracting and retaining skilled workers — and many turned to staffing firms to help fill critical roles. In turn, the Equal Employment...more
As we previewed previously, a number of hot-button legislative proposals made it to Governor Newsom’s desk this year – many of which would change the landscape for California employers. For the first time since the COVID-19...more
10/5/2022
/ Agricultural Workers ,
Bereavement Leave ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pay Data ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retaliation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
Eight months of legislative wrangling and dealmaking have come to an end as the California Legislature just wrapped up work for the year – and now employers across the Golden State turn their eyes to the governor’s office to...more
9/2/2022
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Agricultural Workers ,
Bereavement Leave ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Food Service Workers ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Job Applicants ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pay Data ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Retaliation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Supplemental Benefits ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
The last two years have been an interesting respite for California employers. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the legislature – just like other businesses – which resulted in abbreviated legislative schedules, fewer bills...more
2/24/2022
/ B2B Organizations ,
Bereavement Leave ,
Biometric Information ,
California ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
FEHA ,
Health and Safety ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Marijuana ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Pay Data ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State Labor Laws ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
First-year Governor Gavin Newsom signed some significant pieces of legislation in recent days that will impact employers across California – ranging from a ban on mandatory arbitration agreements, to a complete rewrite to the...more
10/15/2019
/ Amended Legislation ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Fees ,
Bias ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Delays ,
DFEH ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Mandatory Arbitration ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Privacy Laws ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations
• Under a new law just signed into effect by the California Governor and set to take effect on January 1, 2020, employers will no longer be able to compel workers into arbitration for state discrimination claims or those...more
10/14/2019
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
FEHA ,
Labor Code ,
Mandatory Arbitration ,
Preemption ,
Private Right of Action ,
State Labor Laws
A big focus of the #MeToo movement over the last several years has been on efforts to increase the statute of limitations for bringing sexual harassment claims. Governor Newsom just signed into law Assembly Bill 9 (Reyes),...more
10/11/2019
/ Bias ,
DFEH ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Governor Brown ,
Governor Newsom ,
Governor Vetoes ,
New Legislation ,
Retroactivity ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations
As the 2019 legislative year is about to come to a close, there are a number of critical labor and employment proposals still making their way to Governor Newsom’s desk. With just four short weeks remaining for the...more
8/21/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Reporting ,
EEO-1 ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
FEHA ,
Governor Newsom ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Liability ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mandatory Arbitration ,
Pending Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Unemployment Benefits
Governor Newsom recently signed legislation to provide that prohibited employment discrimination based on race under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) also includes discrimination based on hair texture and protective...more
7/8/2019
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Dress Codes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
FEHA ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
New Legislation ,
Race Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws
A measure currently pending in the California Legislature, and garnering wide bipartisan support, would provide that prohibited employment discrimination based on race under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) also...more
February 22 was the last day to introduce new legislative proposals for the 2019 California legislative year. A whopping 2,576 bill were introduced before the deadline, making for an extremely busy legislative year ahead....more
2/27/2019
/ #MeToo ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Governor Brown ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes for the past few years—and this past month...more
10/11/2018
/ #MeToo ,
Background Checks ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Epic Systems Corp v Lewis ,
Governor Brown ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Joint Employers ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Unions
In the latest sign of an increased emphasis on harassment, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced filing seven lawsuits against various employers charging them with harassment. Five of...more
As we previously discussed in this blog, last year Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation to prevent employers from asking about salary history information. That legislation, Assembly Bill 168 (Eggman), went into effect on...more
4/27/2018
/ Ban the Box ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Brown ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Wage and Hour
February 16 was the deadline to introduce new bills in the California Legislature. By that date, nearly 2,200 bills were introduced. While that may seem like a staggering amount of legislative proposals (especially for a...more
2/28/2018
/ Agricultural Workers ,
Amended Legislation ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Board of Directors ,
Breastfeeding ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Construction Workers ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
DLSE ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Training ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FEHA ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Gig Economy ,
Governor Brown ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Human Trafficking ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Independent Contractors ,
Janitorial Services ,
Labor Commissioners ,
Lead Poisoning ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Minimum Wage ,
Minor Children ,
Misclassification ,
Notice Requirements ,
OSHA ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Payroll Records ,
Penalties ,
Personal Services ,
Portable Benefits ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Safety ,
Public Sector ,
Public Works ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Testimony ,
Trump Administration ,
Undocumented Immigrants ,
Undue Hardship ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Workplace Safety
California employers will soon need to adjust themselves to a new reality once again as a number of new workplace restrictions have been passed by the state legislature and just signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. State...more
10/17/2017
/ Ban the Box ,
Burden of Proof ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Conditional Job Offers ,
Construction Project ,
DFEH ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Employment Policies ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Form I-9 ,
Fringe Benefits ,
Gender Identity ,
General Contractors ,
Governor Brown ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Job Applicants ,
Joint Liability ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Parental Leave ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Retaliation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Subcontractors ,
Trump Administration ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Whistleblowers
On October 14, Governor Brown signed AB 1008 to prohibit most public and private employers with five or more employees from asking applicants about criminal conviction histories until after a conditional offer of employment...more
10/16/2017
/ Ban the Box ,
Conditional Job Offers ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Employment Application ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (FCIHO) ,
FEHC ,
Governor Brown ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Negligence ,
New Legislation ,
State Labor Laws