As of January 1, 2025, Senate Bill (SB) 399, the California Worker Freedom from Employment Intimidation Act (the Act), prohibits employers from subjecting or threatening to subject employees to discrimination, retaliation,...more
2/3/2025
/ California ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
NLRA ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Retaliation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions
With the 2024 California legislative year closed, it is once again time to summarize the new legislation that will affect businesses operating within California and highlight relevant action items related to this legislation....more
10/22/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
California ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Popular ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
State Legislatures ,
Wage and Hour
Over the years, California’s Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA) has provided a procedurally convenient means for employees to seek expansive penalties for employers’ alleged violations of California’s very technical...more
7/12/2024
/ California ,
Class Action ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Labor Reform ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
For some time now, California law has generally prohibited employers from entering into post-employment noncompete agreements with employees unless an exception applies. The basis for this prohibition is found in Section...more
As most companies are aware, absent specific exceptions, under California Business and Professions Code (Code) Section 16600, California generally prohibits employers from entering into contracts with employees that preclude...more
Though other aspects of California’s pay data reporting law, SB 1162 (codified in Government Code section 12999), became effective January 1, 2023, one requirement of the new law comes due May 10, 2023.
In addition to...more
California employers with employees and job applicants subject to the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) can once again require such individuals to sign arbitration agreements as a condition of employment.
On February 15,...more
In 2022, California again passed assembly bills related to COVID-19. The recent legislation extended some employer obligations while easing others. Touching upon many topics, these bills address supplemental paid sick leave,...more
11/23/2022
/ California ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Grants ,
Notification Requirements ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Small Business ,
Virus Testing ,
Workers’ Compensation
With the 2022 California legislative year closed, it is once again time to examine the new legislation that will affect entities operating within the state. Summaries of key legislation are below, with relevant action items...more
10/25/2022
/ Bereavement Leave ,
Cal-OSHA ,
California ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Reporting ,
Employee Tracking ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
FEHA ,
Governor Newsom ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Pay Data ,
Pay Transparency ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
WARN Act
Beginning October 1, 2022, when a public health emergency is in place, businesses with 100 or more employees worldwide must provide up to 80 hours of paid Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) each calendar year to each...more
10/3/2022
/ California ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Covered Employees ,
Covered Employer ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Regulatory Mandates ,
San Francisco ,
State and Local Government
California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) is a statute that authorizes employees to bring an action for civil penalties on behalf of the state against an employer for Labor Code violations committed against the...more
6/17/2022
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
California ,
Class Action ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Employees ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Iskanian ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
SCOTUS ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Viking River Cruises ,
Viking River Cruises Inc v Moriana
The California Supreme Court, on May 23, 2022, issued a seminal opinion in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc., which found that employees can recover penalties for failure to timely pay wages at termination and...more
5/27/2022
/ CA Supreme Court ,
California ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Code ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Premium Pay ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements
A unanimous three-judge panel reached a decision in the case of Bijon Hill v. Walmart. Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed that Walmart classified a freelance model, Bijon Hill, as an...more
5/9/2022
/ Appeals ,
California ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Good Faith ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Code ,
Misclassification ,
Summary Judgment ,
Wage and Hour
With the 2021 California legislative year closed, it is now time to examine the new legislation that will affect California companies. We have summarized the key new legislation below, with relevant action items noted....more
10/26/2021
/ Arbitration ,
California ,
Compliance ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Piece-Rate Pay ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tips ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft ,
Warehouses ,
Workplace Safety