On December 12, 2023, California’s Labor Commissioner revised its FAQs to address changes that will occur on January 1, 2024, to the Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act (HWHFA), the statewide paid sick and safe leave law....more
On October 4, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 616, which arguably results in the most significant changes to California’s statewide paid sick and safe leave law since the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (HWHFA)...more
The California Supreme Court issued a ruling this week that expands the definition of employer under the state’s main discrimination statute, the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). This expansion not only increases the...more
On September 29, 2022, Governor Newsom signed AB 1949, which creates protected bereavement leave under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). As of January 1, 2023, AB 1949 makes it unlawful for an employer to refuse to...more
On September 29, 2022, California’s governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1041, which, beginning January 1, 2023, expands the definition of a “family member” under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and California’s Healthy...more
10/3/2022
/ California ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Eligibility Determination ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Family Members ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act 2014 ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On September 29, 2022, California’s governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 152, which immediately extends the obligation of employers with 26 or more employees to provide COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (“CA 2022 SPSL”)...more
California’s Labor Commissioner has updated its FAQs concerning 2022 COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (CPSL), answering some of employers’ more pressing questions about how this year’s more unique law operates. The...more
On February 16, 2022, the California Labor Commissioner published the mandatory posters concerning the 2022 COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (CPSL) law—which will take full effect on Saturday, February 19, 2022—that an...more
2/18/2022
/ California ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Commissioners ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Posting Requirements ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
On February 9, 2022, California’s governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 114, which creates new Labor Code section 248.6. The law takes effect immediately and is retroactive to January 1, 2022, but an employer’s obligation to...more
2/9/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Public Health ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
This report summarizes and analyzes data gathered from 1,160 in-house lawyers, C-suite executives and HR professionals. The survey covers the wide-ranging issues facing employers as we look toward a post-pandemic future –...more
On March 19, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 95, which creates new Labor Code section 248.2 and mandates that employers provide employees with supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) for various...more
3/22/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Rights ,
Governor Newsom ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Popular ,
Retroactive Application ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which extends tax credits for private employers with 499 or fewer U.S. employees that voluntarily decide to provide emergency paid...more
3/18/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EFMLA ,
Employee Benefits ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Planning
On January 5, 2021, California’s 2021 emergency paid sick leave landscape became clearer as San Jose enacted a revised emergency paid sick leave ordinance, and Los Angeles County directed staff to prepare a proposal to revise...more
In normal times, December 31 for employers is the final day before a host of new laws might take effect. This year, however, is anything but normal, so New Year’s Eve takes on new meaning; it’s the last scheduled day for...more
On September 9, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1867, a five-part bill that: (1) codifies existing COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (CPSL) requirements for certain food sector workers...more
Introduction -
Prior Workplace Policy Institute (WPI) Labor Day Reports focused on key employment developments and trends to provide employers with insight on the state of work and what to expect in the coming year....more
9/8/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Job Creation ,
Labor Regulations ,
On-Demand Services ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Remote Working ,
Telecommuting ,
Unemployment ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
On August 18, 2020, Sonoma County joined the list of California cities and counties that have enacted emergency paid sick leave ordinances. The urgency ordinance took effect immediately and will remain in effect until...more
Nearly two and a half months after its emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) ordinance took effect on May 12, 2020, Oakland, California released frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the new law. The FAQs do offer some...more
On May 12, 2020, Oakland joined the list of California localities that have enacted a law requiring supplemental paid sick leave for COVID-19 purposes, along with Los Angeles (City), Los Angeles County (Unincorporated), San...more
As jurisdictions across the country are gradually easing up on stringent business closures and similar restrictions, employers and workers are understandably eager to resume operations and reclaim some sense of “normalcy.”...more
The increased spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States presents employers with significant workplace challenges. The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are designed to address some of the...more
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has implications for multiple workplace concerns, including health and safety, leaves of absence, discrimination, and travel. Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been...more
3/5/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Duty of Care ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Furloughs ,
General Duty Clause ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Interim Guidance ,
International Travel ,
Layoffs ,
Leave of Absence ,
National Origin Discrimination ,
Occupational Exposure ,
OSH Act ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Pay ,
Traveling Employee ,
Wage and Hour ,
WARN Act ,
Workplace Safety
On June 27, 2019, Governor Gavin Newson (D) signed Senate Bill (SB) 83, which, beginning on July 1, 2020, will extend from six to eight weeks the maximum duration of paid family leave (PFL) benefits individuals may receive...more
Dear Littler: One of our key employees was injured in a serious car accident. She qualified for, and took, a full 12 weeks of leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to recover. She was supposed to return to work...more
Developments at the local and state level have affected what employers must do to comply with the San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Ordinance (“SF PPLO” or the “Ordinance”). The SF PPLO took effect on January 1, 2017 (for...more