Although a government shutdown was averted in September, the stopgap funding bill lasts only through November 17 – meaning that the federal government will shut down if Congress cannot reach an agreement by then. How will...more
California employers know that the new year inevitably brings new workplace laws that are finalized at the end of the state’s legislative session in the fall. This year, state lawmakers considered over 2,700 bills – the most...more
10/16/2023
/ Appeals ,
Arbitration ,
Automatic Stay ,
California ,
Caregivers ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Brokers ,
Data Deletion ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Governor Newsom ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Layoffs ,
Minimum Wage ,
Motion to Compel ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Leave ,
Registration Requirement ,
Remote Working ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Strike ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Violence ,
Workplace Violence Prevention Programs
A recent multimillion dollar wage theft citation against a California franchise operation should put fast-food businesses and other franchise models on notice that your business model could be the next target. The California...more
In the wake of numerous California cities passing local Paid Sick Leave (PSL) ordinances in recent years, the State of California has now taken matters into its own hands – and created yet more hurdles for employers. Late...more
If Congress cannot approve a budget by October 1, the federal government will shut down. What will this mean for employers across the country? A look back at the most recent government shutdown will provide lessons on what...more
California employers will want to sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and prepare themselves for the avalanche on new employment laws that may soon be coming their way. The state Legislature just completed its work for 2023 in a...more
9/18/2023
/ Caregivers ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Governor Newsom ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Layoffs ,
Minimum Wage ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pending Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Strike ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Violence
A deal between labor and business groups has just been struck that would remove a controversial referendum from the ballot, but will instead enact a $20 minimum wage for the California fast food industry. Employers will...more
After nearly two decades of being defunded by California lawmakers, the controversial Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) may be on the verge of being reinstated – but are employer concerns premature? Originally established...more
The recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank highlights many of the concerns that employers might face should they find themselves in the midst of a liquidity crisis. Making payroll, arriving at decisions related to wage...more
3/14/2023
/ Business Operations ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Furloughs ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Involuntary Reduction in Force ,
Labor Relations ,
Layoffs ,
Liquidity ,
Notice Requirements ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Wage and Hour
California employers with at least 100 employees are likely familiar with the pay data reporting requirements that were enacted in 2020. Recent amendments under SB 1162, however, make some significant changes for 2023. You...more
Pay transparency is one of the hottest trends impacting the workforce today, and staffing companies and PEOs need to keep up with new laws and evolving expectations to stay compliant and competitive in 2023 and beyond. Pay...more
California officials recently updated their Equal Pay Act FAQs to answer a handful of questions about the state’s new pay transparency requirement for job postings — which goes into effect on January 1. But California...more
After a wild and bumpy ride of dealing with the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), most California employers were relieved that the ETS was set to expire at the end of this year. However, last-minute debate...more
Fans of the 1984 fantasy film The NeverEnding Story might remember the famous line, “Every real story is a never-ending story.” For California employers that have been grappling with COVID-19 for the better part of the last...more
10/7/2022
/ Cal-OSHA ,
CDPH ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Safety
As we previewed previously, a number of hot-button legislative proposals made it to Governor Newsom’s desk this year – many of which would change the landscape for California employers. For the first time since the COVID-19...more
10/5/2022
/ Agricultural Workers ,
Bereavement Leave ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pay Data ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retaliation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
As a result of Governor Newsom’s signature on legislation Tuesday, California will soon join a growing list of state and local jurisdictions that require job postings to include pay scale information. With the enactment of...more
Eight months of legislative wrangling and dealmaking have come to an end as the California Legislature just wrapped up work for the year – and now employers across the Golden State turn their eyes to the governor’s office to...more
9/2/2022
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Agricultural Workers ,
Bereavement Leave ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Food Service Workers ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Job Applicants ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pay Data ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Retaliation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Supplemental Benefits ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
California lawmakers just passed the first bill in the nation that aims to enact specific workplace rules and standards for fast-food employees – a move that could have devastating consequences for the industry. The Fast Food...more
9/1/2022
/ Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Minimum Wage ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules ,
Working Conditions ,
Workplace Safety
A new law set to take effect on August 6 will require hotels in the City of Los Angeles to implement new protections for certain hotel workers and raises the minimum wage at more hotels in the City of Los Angeles. Similar...more
7/12/2022
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Over-Time ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Many California employers were hopeful there was an end in sight for COVID-19 requirements – but recent activity from state workplace safety officials means that you will most likely need to comply with pandemic rules for at...more
The last two years have been an interesting respite for California employers. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the legislature – just like other businesses – which resulted in abbreviated legislative schedules, fewer bills...more
2/24/2022
/ B2B Organizations ,
Bereavement Leave ,
Biometric Information ,
California ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
FEHA ,
Health and Safety ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Marijuana ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Pay Data ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State Labor Laws ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
Responding to pressure from labor amidst the Omicron variant, California lawmakers and Governor Newsom are on the cusp of enacting new COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) that could go into effect in a matter of...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently completed final action on bills that were passed by the state legislature in 2021, and employers are once again faced with a raft of new compliance obligations thanks to several new...more
10/12/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Employers monitoring proposed changes to Cal/OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) in recent weeks likely have whiplash from trying to keep up with the back-and-forth slew of developments. However, it appears we are close...more
6/15/2021
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Documentation ,
Employee Housing ,
Employment Policies ,
Exclusions ,
Exemptions ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
Notice Requirements ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
After a rollercoaster meeting Thursday where it originally voted down the proposed revisions, Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board eventually adopted proposed revisions to the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that will establish...more
6/7/2021
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Housing ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Exclusions ,
Exemptions ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
Notice Requirements ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Required Documentation ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety