A new General Labor Law (NGLL) was enacted by Law No. 12/23, of 27 December 2023, which came into force on March 26, 2024.The NGLL repealed the former General Labor Law (approved by Law No. 7/15, of June 15, 2015),...more
The federal government, states, counties, and cities were active again this year passing workplace legislation intended for the most part to protect employees, creating new compliance obligations for employers. Littler’s...more
11/27/2023
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
New Regulations ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
California’s legislature covered a wide array of labor and employment law topics this legislative session. The laws discussed below were signed into law by Governor Newsom and will become effective on January 1, 2024 unless...more
10/27/2023
/ California ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Violence
California enacted two new bills expanding the scope and consequences of the state’s policies against restrictive covenants. Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 699 into law on September 1, 2023, and Assembly Bill 1076 into...more
10/18/2023
/ Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Contract Terms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State Labor Laws
For years, California has led the way in the fast food industry, with several prominent brands having their origins in the Golden State. More recently, California has shown innovation in the ways that the employment of fast...more
9/12/2023
/ California ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
FEHA ,
Food Service Workers ,
IWC ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
We are in the final stretch of the California legislature’s first year of a two-year session. One bill that sped through the legislative process—without any registered opposition—is Senate Bill 699, which extends the state’s...more
9/7/2023
/ California ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Former Employee ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Out-of-State Companies ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State Labor Laws
As happens this time every year in California, legislators and the governor are crafting a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget bill currently under consideration in Sacramento contains a startling and...more
6/27/2023
/ California ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
IWC ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Reform ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Authority ,
State Budgets ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Traditionally, January 1 has been the key date for which employers must prepare to implement new labor and employment compliance obligations for new laws passed within the previous year. For the past several years, we have...more
It’s been a busy spring at the California state capitol. Among the few thousand bills being considered by California’s legislature this year, AB 1228 stands out. The bill would essentially create joint liability for...more
4/21/2023
/ California ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Franchisee ,
Franchises ,
Franchisors ,
Joint Liability ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Wage and Hour
The Global Guide Quarterly (GGQ) is a newsletter Littler publishes on a quarterly basis to provide a general update on global labor and employment (L&E) law developments in key countries in the American, EMEA, and APAC...more
2022 is coming to a close, and the new year will be here before we know it. While many states, cities and counties seem to be willing to pass employment laws and regulations at any time, the first day of a new year is still...more
11/3/2022
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Relations ,
New Legislation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
California state and local governmental bodies—our state legislature, and counties and cities—were active again this year in their efforts to regulate the workplace. Littler Workplace Policy Institute has been tracking these...more
10/6/2022
/ Amended Regulation ,
California ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On July 27, 2022, the Director of California’s Department of Finance sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and other state officials, noting that the Department had determined poor economic conditions necessitated expedited...more
Over the past few years, cities and counties have gotten into the business of regulating the workplace, an area previously reserved to federal and state governments. Many local jurisdictions have focused particular attention...more
7/26/2022
/ Anti-Harassment Policies ,
California ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Workplace Safety
Over the past few years, cities have started to implement their own workplace regulations, an area previously reserved to federal and state governments. The hotel industry, which often is one of the primary drivers of a...more
It used to be that employers had the luxury of waiting until January 1 to be vigilant for new employment laws and compliant challenges. For the past several years, we have reported on employment and labor laws taking effect...more
6/23/2022
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Wage and Hour
2021 saw state and local legislatures shifting their focus away from COVID-19 measures back to traditional employment law matters. Although two states and the District of Columbia have COVID-19 related legislation going into...more
11/12/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Human Trafficking ,
Independent Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Legislation ,
Retirement Plan ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
In 2019, California adopted several laws that restricted “non-disclosure" provisions in employment-related agreements. Those laws, passed in the wake of the “me too” movement, limited non-disclosure provisions in settlement...more
The California legislature has wrapped up its annual legislative session, once again sending a number of employment and labor law bills to Governor Newsom’s desk. One of the most notable, and potentially revolutionary bills...more
9/13/2021
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Distribution Centers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
NAICS ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Quotas ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Warehouses
The pandemic seems not to have slowed down state and local lawmakers. Indeed, over 100 new labor and employment laws and ordinances are scheduled to take effect between July 1, 2021 and November 1, 2021. Notably, while some...more
6/9/2021
/ Ban the Box ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Hazard Pay ,
Independent Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
Layoffs ,
Masks ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Vaccine Passports ,
Wage and Hour ,
WARN Act ,
Workplace Safety