California Employment News: Expanded Workplace Protections Regarding Cannabis Use
#WorkforceWednesday: Employees’ Off-Duty Conduct, Violence at Work Rises, the Election and the Gig Economy - Employment Law This Week®
The national and global hyperpolitical atmosphere inevitably touches the workplace, where employers and employees must remain productive while navigating the intersection of political expression, workplace culture and...more
Political speech in the workplace has become a growing concern for employers in recent years. The polarized political climate, combined with the increasing use of social media and digital communication, has amplified the...more
The United Kingdom continues to see rapid growth in the number of workplaces adopting remote and hybrid work arrangements, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this new type of work offers many...more
The line between ‘work’ and ‘home’ has historically been clear for most employees – separated by a distinct office building, worksite, or retail space. Technology has blurred this line in the past few decades and, for some...more
Real World Impact: U.S. employers should be aware of the global trend of “right to disconnect” laws and should review their policies on after-hours communications to stay ahead of social and legal changes....more
Dear Littler: I manage a growing family medical practice out West. It has come to our attention that one of our staff members maintains an adult-themed website. We learned about this when another staff member complained about...more
Taking a page from countries across the Atlantic, the California legislature is considering a bill that would give employees the “right to disconnect.” ...more
With expanding legalization and commercialization—including several state initiatives in 2024 and perhaps even federal legislation—the chances are good that your California business has at least a few employees who consume...more
California once again is at the forefront of the expansion of workplace rights with a first-of-its-kind proposed legislation in the United States that would provide workers with the freedom and the right to disconnect from...more
With the arrival of the unofficial annual holiday known as “4/20,” employers can celebrate by reminding themselves of the state laws that could protect employees’ off-duty 4/20 celebrations....more
With the sweeping presence of technology today, the boundary between work life and home life has become increasingly blurred. A new bill recently introduced to the California legislature seeks to change that by protecting...more
California Assembly member Matt Haney has introduced the first “right to disconnect” law in the United States, Assembly Bill 2751 (A.B. 2751). Under the proposed legislation, employers would be required to define employees'...more
We have all faced situations where a manager, coworker, or client calls or emails seeking a response outside of normal work hours. While most of us view these interruptions as an unavoidable result of technological progress,...more
In a recent decision affirming summary judgment in favor of defendant Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc. (the “Agency”), the Connecticut Appellate Court (decision.pdf) provided employers with useful guidance about...more
It’s 7:30 PM on a Thursday night and you check your phone after finishing dinner – and you see a business emergency starting to brew. You could use some help from your team tonight to gear up for what is bound to be a crazy...more
How have the rules changed since Ohio legalized recreational marijuana? Can you still drug test? Can you test for reasonable suspicion? What if someone gets hurt at work? What if they test positive but say it’s because they...more
New laws in 2024 expand workplace protections for employees regarding their current and past cannabis use. Nikki Mahmoudi and Tomiwa Aina review these changes, previewed in our 2024 Employment Law Update seminars, in this...more
Australia’s Senate on Thursday, February 8, 2024, passed a bill that would prevent an employer from contacting employees outside of work hours. The bill gives the employee the right to refuse to monitor, read or respond to...more
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is chipping away at employment agreements and other restrictive covenants one clause at a time. In a recent memorandum, the General Counsel said she believes restricting employees...more
Many people feel emboldened to publicly share their views on all sorts of controversial topics these days – politics, international relations, religion, culture, or any number of other incendiary areas where there are bound...more
Two of the biggest employment law fallacies we encounter relate to employees’ beliefs about the impact of their off-duty behavior on their careers. First, we see situations where the workers claim that employers have no right...more
Beginning in 2024, both Washington and California will prohibit employers from basing hiring decisions on an applicant’s legal marijuana use. What Is Prohibited? Effective January 1, 2024, employers are prohibited...more
A star of a popular long-running reality TV was fired from her real estate job according to recent news reports over allegations that she used a racial slur during filming of the show. While an investigation into the incident...more
Two new laws will take effect next year that restrict how employers may respond to worker off-duty cannabis use. One law will restrict employers’ ability to ask about prior cannabis use in the hiring process, and the other...more