California lawmakers introduced numerous bills early in the 2025 legislative session that could affect California employment law in significant ways. Although it is too soon to predict which bills, if any, will advance, the...more
3/25/2025
/ Automated Decision Systems (ADS) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Job Ads ,
Pay Transparency ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Surveillance ,
Training Requirements ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released a fact sheet that explains why employers need to be careful in using wearable technologies so they do not violate federal nondiscrimination laws. ...more
1/27/2025
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Biometric Information ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Protected Class ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Wearable Technology
As more states implement paid family leave programs, employers increasingly are faced with questions about how these state programs interact with Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) regulations. A recent opinion letter...more
1/20/2025
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
New Guidance ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Wildfires continue to rage across the Los Angeles area, causing death, massive destruction of property, and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes. President Biden has approved a “Major Disaster Declaration” for...more
The Los Angeles City Council has approved raising the minimum wage rate for hotel and airport workers to $22.50 per hour by July 2025, with yearly increases until the rate reaches $30.00 per hour by July 2028....more
New California employment laws are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025. These laws address a variety of issues, including the state minimum wage, discrimination protections, paid time off, and employers’ messages...more
12/11/2024
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Audits ,
Child Labor ,
Compliance ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
FEHA ,
Independent Contractors ,
Minimum Wage ,
Posting Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unruh Civil Rights Act ,
Wage and Hour
California’s Proposition 32 would have immediately raised the state minimum wage for employees with twenty-six or more employees to $17.00 per hour immediately and to $18.00 per hour on January 1, 2025. Proposition 32 also...more
New York City employees may soon be entitled to take sick leave to care for their pets if a newly introduced bill is passed by the city council....more
On September 28, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill (SB) No. 988, the Freelance Worker Protection Act (FWPA). The FWPA provides minimum requirements for agreements between freelance workers and...more
On September 29, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) No. 2499, a measure that provides leave protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other crimes, as...more
10/7/2024
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Domestic Violence ,
FEHA ,
Governor Newsom ,
Jury Duty ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Leave ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sick Leave ,
Subpoenas
Knowing several religious holidays are coming up soon, employers can take steps to avoid triggering religious discrimination and reasonable accommodation lawsuits. Consistently applying paid time off rules can help to prevent...more
California is on the verge of adding yet one more prohibited employment practice to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
On September 9, 2024, the California Legislature presented Governor Gavin Newsom...more
On August 31, 2024, the California Legislature passed the California Worker Freedom from Employer Intimidation Act, Senate Bill (SB) No. 399. The bill heads to Governor Gavin Newsom, who has until September 30, 2024, to sign...more
9/5/2024
/ Civil Rights Act ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Discrimination ,
First Amendment ,
Pending Legislation ,
Political Speech ,
Religious Beliefs ,
Special Meetings ,
State Labor Laws ,
Title VII ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions
On April 15, 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) unveiled its final rule and interpretive guidance implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), clarifying employers’ responsibilities under...more
On April 15, 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued its final rule implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The final rule will be published in the Federal Register on April 19,...more
The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) recently published a revised employee wage theft notice, effective January 1, 2024, that reflects legislation enacted in California in October 2023 requiring notice of...more
The new California employment-related laws that came out of the 2023 legislative session address a number of issues that will affect many employers. Leave (paid family leave, sick leave, and reproductive loss leave),...more
Along with signing into law a variety of employment-related bills in the 2023–2024 legislative session, Governor Gavin Newsom also vetoed numerous bills that would have further affected California employers. Here is an...more
Governor Newsom recently signed into law numerous bills that will affect California employers come January 1, 2024. Here is a quick overview of some of the new law that are relevant for employers....more
11/7/2023
/ Accrued Benefits ,
Arbitration ,
Cannabis Products ,
Drug Testing ,
Governor Newsom ,
Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Notice Requirements ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
Paid Leave ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
Retaliation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Violence
On September 30, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill (SB) No. 235, which adds new rules for initial disclosures of information in discovery.
Specifically, the new law amends California Code...more
On October 8, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill (SB) No. 731. If enacted into law, SB 731 would have required employers to provide at least 30 calendar days’ advance written notice before requiring...more
On October 10, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) No. 933. The new law provides further protection to individuals who are victims of sexual offenses and are sued under state defamation law....more
10/12/2023
/ Assault ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Civil Code ,
Crime Victims ,
Defamation ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Governor Newsom ,
Litigation Fees & Costs ,
New Legislation ,
Privileged Communication ,
Punitive Damages ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Treble Damages ,
Vulnerable Victims
On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill (AB) No. 1356, which would have required employers to provide workers with earlier notice in the event of a mass layoff. Specifically, AB 1356 would have amended...more
On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill (SB) No. 497—also referred to as the Equal Pay and Anti-Retaliation Protection Act. SB 497 amends California Labor Code Sections 98.6, 1102.5, and 1197.5...more
On October 7, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) No. 700 into law, expanding California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act to protect applicants from discrimination based on prior cannabis use, with...more
10/10/2023
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Cannabis Products ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Drug Testing ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Fair Chance Act ,
FEHA ,
Governor Newsom ,
Job Applicants ,
Marijuana