2023 was a seismic year for the employment landscape, with changes to state and federal laws that touch on hiring, firing, and just about everything in between. Members of Fenwick’s employment group recently walked through...more
2/1/2024
/ Arbitration Agreements ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
California ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
New York ,
NLRB ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Leave ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Technology ,
Wage and Hour
Hiring workers is an important step for startups. Startups engage two main types of workers—employees and independent contractors. It can be difficult to determine the proper classification of a worker, especially since both...more
Join Fenwick’s Employment Practices Group for a 90-minute discussion of the legal developments and emerging trends that shaped 2022 then hear about the compliance recommendations, practical takeaways, and perspective on what...more
12/23/2022
/ Continuing Legal Education ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Webinars ,
Workplace Safety
U.S. Department of Labor Publishes Proposed Rule on Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act -
On October 13, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed rule updating the...more
10/25/2022
/ Arbitration ,
California ,
Cannabis Products ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Reporting ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Definition ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Job Ads ,
Marijuana ,
New York ,
Notice Requirements ,
Off-The-Clock ,
Paid Leave ,
Pay Transparency ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Wage and Hour
Arbitration Agreements: Potential for a Reprieve from AB 51 -
As we reported last year, the California Legislature passed AB 51 in an effort to prohibit employers from requiring employees to arbitrate claims under the...more
2/25/2020
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Independent Contractors ,
New Legislation ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Security Checks ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
As outlined in our prior alert, a multitude of changes in New York employment law have either gone into effect or will be in effect soon. We encourage employers with New York operations to review our prior guidance,...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept. 18 signed into law Assembly Bill 5, landmark legislation which codifies, and significantly expands, the reach of the California Supreme Court’s restrictive “ABC” test for determining...more
9/19/2019
/ ABC Test ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Misclassification ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on August 12 signed into law new legislation expanding employee protections against discrimination and harassment. Among the key provisions are a lower standard for proving harassment,...more
8/14/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Pay ,
Faragher/Ellerth defense ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Notice Requirements ,
Protected Class ,
Punitive Damages ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Wage and Hour
The California Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Dynamex Operations West v. Superior Court of Los Angeles, imposing a simplified but more burdensome test that businesses must satisfy to justify contractor status,...more
5/9/2018
/ ABC Test ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Delivery Drivers ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Former Employee ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Misclassification ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Orders
In a continuing effort to combat pay discrimination, Governor Jerry Brown recently signed AB 168 into law. Beginning January 1, 2018, all California employers are prohibited from seeking, by any means, salary history from an...more
10/23/2017
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Wage and Hour
California Legislative and Agency Update -
Read about the latest California cities to increase hourly minimum wages, newly expanded transgender protections, criminal background check limitations and other changes in...more
8/18/2017
/ Breastfeeding ,
Day of Rest Laws ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
DFEH ,
Domestic Violence ,
Employment Litigation ,
FEHA ,
Freelance Isn't Free Act (FIFA) ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
LGBTQ ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Transgender ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Harassment Guidance
California Legislative Update -
In the latter half of 2016, California Governor Jerry Brown signed numerous bills into law. Below is a summary of those laws that will affect California employers in 2017 and...more
1/21/2017
/ Antitrust Violations ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Background Checks ,
Cell Phones ,
Choice-of-Law ,
Class Action ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Collective Actions ,
Company Vehicles ,
Computer Software Workers ,
Criminal Records ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Domestic Violence ,
Drivers ,
EEO-1 ,
Employee Restrooms ,
Employment Contract ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Fair Pay Act ,
Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces ,
Governor Brown ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Injunctions ,
Juveniles ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mental Health ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
National Origin Discrimination ,
NLRB ,
No-Poaching ,
Notice Requirements ,
NYDOL ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
On-Duty Meal Period Waivers ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Leave ,
Parental Leave ,
Payroll Records ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Retaliation ,
Ridesharing ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
State-Run Retirement Plans ,
Strategic Enforcement Plan ,
Venue ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
Wage-Fixing ,
White-Collar Exemptions
2016 brought several employment law developments that will undoubtedly affect your workplace. The Fenwick & West Employment Practices Group invites you to attend its annual complimentary briefing to learn more about the most...more
12/12/2016
/ Arbitration ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
EEO-1 ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Events ,
LGBTQ ,
NLRB ,
Paid Leave ,
Separation Agreement ,
Sick Leave ,
Social Media Policy ,
Unfair Competition ,
Wage and Hour
On November 22, 2016, a federal district court in Texas preliminarily enjoined the Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing portions of its rule increasing the federal minimum salary for exempt executive, administrative, and...more
11/29/2016
/ Balance of Harships ,
Barack Obama ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Imminent Harm ,
Lack of Authority ,
Likelihood of Success ,
Minimum Salary ,
Over-Time ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Public Interest ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
If you have not audited your exempt employee pay practices for compliance with the federal Department of Labor’s rules announced earlier this year, you have just under two weeks to do so. Starting December 1, 2016, the...more
11/18/2016
/ Compliance ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Final Rules ,
Highly Compensated Employees ,
Internal Audit Functions ,
Minimum Salary ,
Misclassification ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Over-Time ,
Unpaid Overtime ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Last week, the federal Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced its long-awaited final rule increasing the minimum salary requirements for certain exempt workers. The DOL announced its final rule on May 18, 2016, and the rule...more
Apple Inc. recently convinced a California federal district court to dismiss a certified class action alleging that Apple had a legal duty to pay store workers for time spent on bag checks at the end of shifts....more
Bag Checks for Apple Employees Not Compensable Time -
Apple Inc. recently convinced a California federal district court to dismiss a certified class action alleging that Apple had a legal duty to pay store workers for...more
12/22/2015
/ Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Class Members ,
Compensation ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Legal Ethics ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
SCOTUS ,
Summary Judgment ,
Wage and Hour
Legislative Update -
Governor Brown recently signed into state law the following employment law bills (among others):
SB 358—Referred to as the California Fair Pay Act, this law is directed at closing the pay...more
10/26/2015
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
AT&T Mobility v Concepcion ,
Background Checks ,
Chipotle Grill ,
Class Action ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employment Application ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Fair Pay Act ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Brown ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Code ,
Misclassification ,
Motion to Compel ,
New Legislation ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remand ,
Retaliation ,
SCOTUS ,
Substantially Similar ,
Title VII ,
Transgender ,
Void and Unenforceable ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
Waivers ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers ,
Wrongful Termination
New Amendments Clarify California Paid Sick Leave -
This month, the California Legislature enacted AB 304, an urgency measure that became effective on July 13 and provides much needed clarity on various aspects of...more
7/28/2015
/ Accrued Benefits ,
Administrative Interpretation ,
Credit Checks ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
DLSE ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act 2014 ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Leave ,
Primary Beneficiary Test ,
Sick Leave ,
Unpaid Interns ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Federal white collar exemptions: According to the Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) most recent Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, proposed rules revising the regulations implementing the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) are...more
Employer’s Motive, Not Confirmed Knowledge Of Accommodation Need, Is Basis Of Religious Accommodation Violation -
Federal anti-discrimination laws (“Title VII”) prohibit an employer from refusing to hire a candidate to...more
6/24/2015
/ Abercrombie & Fitch ,
Ban the Box ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dress Codes ,
EEOC v Abercrombie ,
Employee Restrooms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Joint Employers ,
Misclassification ,
OSHA ,
Paid Leave ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Religious Clothing ,
Religious Discrimination ,
SCOTUS ,
Title VII ,
Transgender ,
Wage and Hour
Ninth Circuit Reviews Enforceability of Waiver of Right to Reemployment -
Does California Business and Professions Code § 16600 prohibit employees from waiving their right to reemployment with prior employers? The...more
4/29/2015
/ Business & Professions Code ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Minimum Wage ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Offensive Language ,
Protected Activity ,
Termination ,
Visa Caps ,
Wage and Hour
Emphasizing that California law provides greater protections than federal law to on-call employees, the California Supreme Court in Mendiola v. CPS Security Solutions, Inc. held that security guards were entitled to...more
On Premises, On-Call Time Compensable; Sleep Time Not Excluded -
Emphasizing that California law provides greater protections than federal law to on-call employees, the California Supreme Court in Mendiola v. CPS...more
2/20/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Arbitration ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Class Action ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Exempt-Employees ,
On-Call Employees ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Security Guards ,
Wage and Hour