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®
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
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
In November 2023, Ohio passed a recreational marijuana law. Sales of recreational marijuana began on August 6 in the Buckeye State, and employers can expect an uptick in employee use. Employers’ rights with respect to...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
California lawmakers have introduced legislation that would give employees the right to ignore communications from their employers that are received outside the contours of their “working hours,” which must first be agreed...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
In late March 2024, California Assemblyman Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill, AB 2751, that would recognize a right for employees in California to “disconnect” or ignore communications from their employer during...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
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
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
The California Legislature has enacted several new laws that will impact the workplace in 2024. This Holland & Knight alert provides a brief summary of select employment laws that go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, unless stated...more
With 2023 coming to an end, now is the optimal time for employers to update their employee handbooks, policies, and procedures applicable to California workforces for the upcoming year. Here’s a roundup of several recently...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
Governor Newsom recently signed into law numerous bills that will affect California employers come January 1, 2024. Here is a quick overview of some of the new law that are relevant for employers....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
Now that California's 2023 legislative session has closed and the governor's October 14 deadline to sign or veto new legislation has passed, California employers should take note of a handful of new California laws that will...more
California has officially, and for the first time, provided protections for users of recreational marijuana within the employment context. California Assembly Bill (“AB”) 2188, which takes effect on January 1, 2024, amends...more
So far, 2023 has been a wild ride for employers, a theme that looks to be continuing into the third quarter of the year. While certain predictions we made during Q1 came true in Q2 (we are looking at you, NLRB), others such...more
While employers cannot police all employee conduct outside the workplace, employee interactions outside of work can – and do – impact the work environment. Indeed, under certain circumstances, inappropriate conduct by an...more
After July 1, a whiff of weed in the air means a Marylander is taking advantage of the new state law legalizing recreational marijuana. It also means potential issues for employers when it comes to how they handle off-duty...more
Under a new Minnesota law legalizing recreational marijuana, beginning August 1, 2023, individuals 21 years of age or older may possess or transport up to two ounces of cannabis flower in public and to possess up to two...more