The term “metaverse” first appeared in Neal Stephenson’s dystopian novel Snow Crash in 1992. Two decades later, the metaverse has evolved from a concept in print into an interactive and immersive reality. Its hyper-realistic...more
The US Supreme Court has issued its highly anticipated opinion in Viking River Cruises Inc. v. Moriana, on whether the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) preempts California law that invalidates contractual waivers in arbitration...more
The Supreme Court of California, in response to a question certified to it by the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, clarified on January 27 in a unanimous opinion that California Labor Code Section 1102.6 provides...more
Governor Gavin Newsom announced a regional stay-at-home order on December 3 in response to the unprecedented surge of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in California. The order, which takes effect December 5, is triggered for any...more
12/7/2020
/ Business Closures ,
California ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Governor Newsom ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retail Market ,
Shelter-In-Place ,
State and Local Government
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1383 on September 17, greatly expanding employee job protected leave under the California Family Rights Act and New Parent Leave Act. ...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 685 on September 17, enhancing the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s (Cal-OSHA’s) enforcement of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection prevention requirements....more
9/23/2020
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Governor Newsom ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Code ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Workplace Safety
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1867 on September 9, requiring private employers with 500 or more employees nationwide to provide California employees with paid sick leave for coronavirus...more
California Governor Newsom announced the “blueprint for a safer economy,” a gradual process for reopening businesses in California, on August 28. A replacement for the County Monitoring List, the blueprint is a four-tier,...more
As part of his continuing response to the increasing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in California, Governor Gavin Newsom released the COVID-19 Employer Playbook on July 24 to assist employers in navigating reopening and...more
In response to the rising number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in California, effective immediately, Governor Gavin Newsom on July 13 ordered all counties in California to close all indoor and outdoor bars, brewpubs,...more
On July 1, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced closures of indoor dining and entertainment venues, as well as all bars, in 19 counties. California immediately issued Guidance describing these closures. Gov. Newsom also...more
7/8/2020
/ Bars ,
Business Closures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Enforcement Strike Teams ,
Entertainment Venues ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Newsom ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Safety ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government
Assembly Bill 5, signed into law on September 18, generally codifies Dynamex and establishes difficult standards for classifying workers as independent contractors. Employers should review their independent contractor...more
The California Court of Appeal recently held that if an employer requires an employee to call in two hours before the start of a scheduled shift to find out if the employee will be required to work the shift, and the employee...more
In Troester v. Starbucks Corp., the California Supreme Court held that the Fair Labor Standards Act’s de minimis doctrine does not apply to wage claims under California law. However, the court left open the question of...more
The California Supreme Court holds that California wage and hour laws prohibit on-duty and on-call rest breaks.
On December 22, 2016, the California Supreme Court ruled that California “employers must relieve their...more
However, the court found PAGA representative action waivers unenforceable; employers should consider practical implications with respect to arbitration agreements.
On June 23, the California Supreme Court issued its...more
6/30/2014
/ Arbitration ,
Class Action ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
CLS Transportation ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Iskanian ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Trucking Industry