What should employers do when an employee complains about not being paid enough? For most employers, it is a difficult conversation to have. In Contreras v. Green Thumb Produce (Dec. 2025) 116 Cal. App. 5th 1251, the employer...more
2/3/2026
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
California ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Code ,
Protected Activity ,
Retaliation ,
Wage and Hour ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
The California Labor Commissioner released a “Know Your Rights Act” notice template, in accordance with Senate Bill 294, that was approved last fall. All employers must provide this notice to their employees on or before...more
Generally, a coworker’s misconduct outside of work does not constitute harassment under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). However, management or Human Resources receiving complaints should not ignore such...more
10/14/2025
/ Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Employee Misconduct ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Failure to Prevent ,
FEHA ,
Hostile Environment ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
Off-The-Clock ,
Sexual Harassment
As defense attorneys, we often encounter matters where an employer’s good-faith mistake gives rise to wage and hour litigation. While ignorance of the law generally provides no defense, a good-faith mistake, historically...more
9/29/2025
/ Appeals ,
CA Supreme Court ,
California ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Good Faith ,
Liquidated Damages ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Penalties ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour
The recent wildfires in Los Angeles have significantly impacted businesses and their employees – employers should be aware of their responsibilities to support their workforce during this challenging time. ...more
1/16/2025
/ California ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employment Policies ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Risk Management ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
On December 19, the IRS published an updated mileage reimbursement rate for 2025: $0.70 per mile, a three cent increase from the 2024 rate. The rate applies to all vehicles, electric and gas alike....more
This is the final of a three-part series addressing the changes to California’s Private Attorneys General Act. In this part we discuss the Early Evaluation Conference....more
This is the second of a three-part series addressing the changes in California’s Private Attorneys General Act.
Below, we discuss an employer’s opportunity to cure alleged PAGA violations...more
Earlier this month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 92 and Assembly Bill 2288 which amended the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). The new legislation is effective immediately....more
Download PDF Last year the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 257, with a declared purpose of improving the terms and conditions of employment of fast food workers who, according to the bill, “are the largest and...more
A new California law (Senate Bill 699) expands a prohibition on non-compete agreements beyond state lines.
Current law (Business and Professions Code Section 16600), provides that every contract that restrains anyone...more
California courts recently issued two guiding decisions relating to COVID-19:
In Thai v. International Business Machines Corp., 2023 Cal. App. LEXIS 526, the Court of Appeal held that a government mandate to work from...more
On March 3, 2023, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced changes to its COVID-19 guidelines. A few days later, the County of Los Angeles announced it will align a few of its guidelines with the CDPH....more
3/14/2023
/ Cal-OSHA ,
California ,
CDPH ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sick Employees ,
Workplace Safety
Download PDF On December 15, 2022, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted to adopt non-emergency COVID-19 prevention regulations (“New Regulations.”) The New Regulations, which went into effect...more
2/10/2023
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Workplace Safety
The City of Los Angeles announced its new minimum wage which rises to $16.78 per hour (an increase of $0.74 from the current minimum wage of $16.04), on July 1, 2023.
The increase is based on the Consumer Price Index for...more
2/3/2023
/ California ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mileage Reimbursement ,
Minimum Wage ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Wage and Hour
As many employers already know, California imposes several restrictions concerning pay disclosures. Labor Code Section 432.3 prohibits employers from inquiring into and relying on an applicant’s salary history and further...more
1/4/2023
/ Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Commissioners ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Pay Rates ,
Pay Transparency ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal held that time spent logging in to start employees’ shifts should be compensable....more
The Sixth District California Court of Appeal held that despite evidence of neutrality of a rounding policy, the employer did not meet its burden of proof to show employees were properly compensated for all hours worked....more
The California Legislature enacted numerous new bills – some (like those regarding COVID-19) are in effect now. Others require employer compliance as of January 1, 2023. This is the third part in a series of posts regarding...more
Following the summer recess, the California Legislature enacted numerous state Senate and Assembly bills taking effect immediately, or in 2023. Here are some with a direct impact on California employers. (Info re other new...more
For the California Legislature, the summer recess is over, which means a host of new state Assembly and Senate bills for 2023....more
The California Supreme Court published its decision in Gustavo Naranjo et al., v. Spectrum Security Services holding that employers who fail to pay for meal or rest break premiums, may also be responsible for waiting time and...more
On April 21, 2022, the California Occupation Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA) voted to re-adopt a revised version of the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”). Once approved the revised ETS will go into...more
On January 25, 2022 Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he reached a deal with legislative leaders to reinstate Supplemental Paid Sick Leave benefits for COVID-19 related absences (“SPSL”). A previous version of the law...more
Starting July 1, 2022, all employees covered by the Los Angeles’ Minimum Wage Ordinance will get a raise, earning at least $16.04 per hour. (The current applicable minimum wage for all covered employees is $15.00/hour.)...more