On July 1, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills into law that significantly revamp the Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA). These reforms follow a June 18 deal reached between California labor and business...more
On January 18, 2024, the California Supreme Court issued its long-awaited opinion in Jorge Luis Estrada et al. v. Royalty Carpet Mills, Inc., resolving a court of appeal split between the Second District (Wesson v. Staples...more
California has long prohibited post-employment noncompetes, subject to certain narrow exceptions. Recently, it added some teeth to that prohibition in the form of a requirement for employers to notify California employees who...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
10/26/2023
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Cal-OSHA ,
Cannabis Products ,
Employment Contract ,
FEHA ,
Governor Newsom ,
Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers ,
Workplace Violence
Few areas of the law have evolved more quickly than the quagmire of federal, state, and local laws governing employee use of marijuana. Although cannabis remains a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act,...more
8/24/2023
/ Cannabis Products ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Drug Possession ,
Drug Testing ,
Employment Policies ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
State and Local Government ,
THC
Can an employee still be protected as a whistleblower under California law if they are not the first to blow the same whistle? Per the California Supreme Court, the answer is yes: “[A] protected disclosure under [Labor Code]...more
An effective offer letter succinctly sets forth the material terms of an employee's employment and makes clear that no other "unwritten" terms are part of the agreement. This article highlights a few key terms that any offer...more
With the new year comes new laws and, for employees in California, new benefits and protections. Below are four of them all employers should be aware of, as existing policies and practices may need to be updated. ...more
2/8/2023
/ Bereavement Leave ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Compliance ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
FEHA ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pay Transparency ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On September 18, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 2188, aimed at preventing employers from penalizing workers for using marijuana during their off-work hours if such use does not impair them at...more
More than two years into the pandemic, most employers are familiar with many of the challenges raised by engaging remote employees. However, one often overlooked issue is whether noncompetition agreements vetted for in-state...more
In his March 1, 2022 State of the Union Address, President Biden briefly touched upon a handful of employment reforms he is urging Congress to pass. This article is intended to help employers understand five of President...more