Now that California employers have their Workplace Violence Prevention Plans (WVPP) in place (as of July 1) some grey areas have come up that warrant awareness and discussion.
•Some employers have had the foresight to...more
A last-minute, emergency bill, SB-1524, was signed into law over the weekend by Governor Newsom. SB-1524 effectively modifies SB-478, the so-called junk-fee ban, which became effective today. As discussed, the exemption...more
Yesterday, Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced Senate Bill 1524 which would keep restaurant fees legal so long as they present additional fees “clearly and conspicuously.” This bill would amend Senate Bill 478, detailed...more
New legal requirements in California and across the country will soon change the way businesses, in particular restaurants, must operate as the government seeks to eliminate the practice of “drip pricing” – i.e., advertising...more
Nearly all employers in the state of California must prepare a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (“WVPP” or “Plan”) by July 1, 2024 and Cal/OSHA just published the highly anticipated model Workplace Violence Prevention Plan...more
The allure of doing business in California is undeniable. It is the world’s fifth largest economy (moving toward fourth) and a market of more than 39 million people. For employers, however, California presents unique...more
2/12/2024
/ Bereavement Leave ,
California ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Fair Pay Act ,
Fair Workweek ,
FEHA ,
Independent Contractors ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Rounding ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft ,
Work Schedules ,
Workplace Safety
With 38% of companies expecting to layoff employees in 2024, the start of the new year has already seen the announcements of thousands of employee layoffs across all sectors. What’s more is that disgruntled employees have...more
It has been an eventful year for California employers, and I don’t anticipate a slowing of pace in 2024. Between higher minimum wages, increasingly complicated local ordinances (e.g. paid sick), and changing technological...more
Though you may still be on a sugar high from Halloween, the new year is fast approaching, and with it, the onset of several new California employment laws. Employers should prepare now by updating their handbooks for 2024....more
11/10/2023
/ Bereavement Leave ,
California ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Training ,
New Legislation ,
NLRA ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pregnancy ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Violence
As if compiling all of the existing California employment notices wasn’t enough, a new law becoming effective January 1, 2024 imposes an additional notice to employees. AB 1076 piggybacks on SB 699, making it unlawful to...more
If there were shades of grey in the state of enforceability of employee non-solicitation provisions (to prevent attempts to and/or the hire of former colleagues), that outlook just got darker. California law has declared void...more
With the continued efforts of employers to get employees back to the office in some capacity, the question of what expenses are reimbursable has again become relevant. California Labor Code section 2802 requires employers to...more
Can you take the “human” out of Human Resources? With the increasing curiosity and use surrounding ChatGPT and other AI platforms, businesses are struggling with how to manage the use of AI in the workplace. Weighing the...more
The allure of doing business in California is undeniable. It is the world’s fifth largest economy (moving toward fourth) and a market of more than 39 million people. For employers, however, California presents unique...more
1/20/2023
/ Age Discrimination ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Bereavement Leave ,
California ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Fair Chance Act ,
Fair Pay Act ,
Fair Workweek ,
FEHA ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Leave ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Rounding ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft ,
Work Schedules ,
Workplace Safety
With the headlines of interest rate hikes and news of mass layoffs, we are seeing more employers looking to reduce staff and expenses. To avoid negative publicity and, hopefully, litigation, we wanted to give you key points...more
In 2021, the California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”) faced a major overhaul. Now, additional changes signed into law last week by Governor Newsom will expand employer obligations. Effective January 1, 2023, AB 1949 amends the...more
Bills of importance to California employers were passed by the California Legislature in the final days of the 2022 session, which ended yesterday. Governor Gavin Newsom has until September 30, 2022, to sign or veto...more
This month’s change in CDC guidance on Covid-19 exposures and cases continues to sow confusion amongst CA employers.
While the CDC does not require testing for Covid-19 exposures or for positive cases to end isolation,...more
Harried, frazzled, overwhelmed, anxious and stressed are words that I’m hearing a lot lately. No, I’m not a therapist, though sometimes, as a lawyer, I feel like one. Disability claims have increased 50% over the past decade...more
A California court has struck down California’s board diversity statute, AB 979 as violating the Equal Protection Clause.
California became the first state to mandate diversity on boards of directors with the passage of...more
Getting ready to return to the office in California and need a refresher on what makes California law “special”?
Have plans to open an office/location somewhere in California and want to understand what laws apply and how...more
3/14/2022
/ Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Ban the Box ,
California ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Discrimination ,
Fair Pay Act ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Pregnancy ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Reimbursements ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft ,
Workplace Safety
The California legislature passed a new bill, SB 114, that awaits Governor Newsom’s signature. The bill reenacts a supplemental paid sick leave (“SPSL”) requirement for companies with more than 25 employees and will be...more
With a record number of Californians missing work due to the Omicron variant, Governor Newsom has reached a deal with state lawmakers to require employers with more than 25 employees to provide special supplemental Covid-19...more
Cal/OSHA updated its FAQs to conform to the new recommendations of the California Department of Health (CDPH). So, hot off the presses, here are the latest rules for California workplaces. A couple interesting points to note:...more
Just two weeks ago, we detailed the readopted Cal/OSHA rules on quarantining in the event of a COVID-19 case or exposure. Now, the CDC and the CA Department of Public Health (CDPH) have weighed in. Most notably, the CDPH...more