As the Southern California wildfires rage on with devastating consequences, employers may be grappling to formulate an appropriate response....more
1/23/2025
/ California ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Paid Leave ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wildfires
The California Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom have again enacted a number of laws that will affect California employers.
This Insight summarizes the significant changes to California employment laws taking effect in...more
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has issued its anticipated model Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (for non-health care settings). As we previously noted here, SB 553 added California...more
As 2024 quickly approaches, so, too, do many new obligations and restrictions for employers with California employees. Below, we summarize significant changes to hiring and workforce management, litigation, wage and hour,...more
California’s Business and Professions Code (the “Code”) has long been the nation’s strictest law on restrictive covenants, essentially prohibiting employee noncompetition agreements except in limited circumstances....more
10/27/2023
/ Confidential Information ,
Contract Terms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Notice Requirements ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State Labor Laws
Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law SB 616, which increases the amount of paid sick leave that employers must provide under the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (the “Act”)....more
After more than a year of administrative activity pertaining to California’s Fair Chance Act (FCA), the California Civil Rights Council issued final modifications to the FCA’s regulations (the “Revised Regulations”). The...more
This year, California was one of many states to enact legislation restricting noncompetes. California has long had the strictest noncompete law, and employee noncompetes are already void under California Business and...more
The California Office of Administrative Law has approved the California Division of Occupational Health and Safety’s (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations (Non-Emergency Regulations). As a result, on...more
California is one of a growing list of states requiring employers to make certain pay transparency disclosures to employees and applicants. California employers already had an obligation to provide pay scales to job...more
This year has yet again been busy for the California Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom, as they enacted several significant changes to hiring and workforce management, wage and hour, COVID-19, and other employment laws....more
12/13/2022
/ California ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Newsom ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Popular ,
State Labor Laws
In June 2022, the California Division of Occupational Health and Safety (“Cal/OSHA”) proposed initial non-emergency standards for COVID-19 prevention in the workplace that were intended to replace the current COVID Emergency...more
The California legislature has presented S.B. 1162 (“the Bill”) to Governor Gavin Newsom. If the Governor signs the Bill into law, California will follow the lead of jurisdictions like Colorado and New York City by requiring...more
On February 9, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB-114, effective February 19, 2022, which requires employers to provide workers with up to two weeks (80 hours) of supplemental paid sick leave related to COVID-19. ...more
2/17/2022
/ California ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Newsom ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Paid Leave ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
On January 27, 2022, the California Supreme Court, in Lawson v. PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc. (Cal., Jan. 27, 2022) __ P.3d __, 2022 WL 244731, clarified the evidentiary standard for presenting and evaluating retaliation...more
On January 26, 2022, the City and County of San Francisco released an updated Health Order No. C19-07y (the “Updated Health Order”), which addresses a number of rules issued in an effort to combat continued spread of...more
In connection with the new Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) that went into effect on January 14, 2022, the California Division of Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) has released the following COVID-19-related...more
On January 6, 2022, the California Division of Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) announced that it would follow the revised guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for quarantine and...more
1/13/2022
/ Cal-OSHA ,
California ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On December 13, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) announced new Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings (“CDPH Guidance”), implementing a mandatory mask mandate for individuals (employees and patrons)...more
This year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a number of bills affecting California employers. Major changes in the coming year include...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law the “Silenced No More Act” (SB 331 or the “Act”), which expands limitations on confidentiality provisions in settlement agreements for filed claims, previously...more
11/23/2021
/ California ,
Confidential Information ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Trade Secrets
On September 17, 2021, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) announced a public health order (“the Order”) requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all on-site employees and visitors at indoor bars,...more
Counties across California are making a detour on the road to easing COVID-19 restrictions....more
As we previously reported, on June 9, 2021, the California Occupational Safety and Health (“Cal/OSHA”) Standards Board (“the Board”) withdrew its prior proposed revisions to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s...more
On May 21, 2021, consistent with Governor Newsom’s intention to fully reopen California by June 15, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) released “Beyond the Blueprint for Industry and Business Sectors”...more