As was widely published last week, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued its long-awaited Final Rule which prohibits employers from entering into non-compete agreements with employees with limited exceptions. The next...more
We hope that your new year is off to a wonderful start! If one of your resolutions is to make sure your employment forms are up to date, our first Laboring Oar newsletter of 2024 will help you achieve that goal. (If only all...more
With the stated purpose of encouraging sick employees to stay home to stop the spread of COVID and other contagious diseases in the workplace, Governor Newsom signed SB 616, expanding the state’s Healthy Workplaces, Healthy...more
Governor Newsom signed AB 2188, which amends the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) to prohibit discrimination based on off-the-job cannabis use. AB 2188 prohibits most employers from discriminating against a...more
From the shifts in e-commerce litigation to the impending implementation of the Corporate Transparency Act, below are some key legal updates that are crucial for businesses to be aware of as 2024 approaches...
Originally...more
11/1/2023
/ Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Transparency Act ,
E-Commerce ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinCEN ,
Greenwashing ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
Sick Leave
Local Minimum Wage Increases Go Into Effect on July 1, 2023 On July 1, 2023, a number of local governments throughout California will raise their minimum wage. In the City of Los Angeles, the new rate is $16.78/hour...more
Historically, employers were legally required to conduct an in-person inspection of I-9 Section 2 documents (e.g., an employee’s passport, driver’s license, and/or social security card) to verify an employee’s identity and...more
5/25/2023
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
E-Verify ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Foreign Workers ,
Form I-9 ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Remote Working ,
Required Forms ,
USCIS
For several years, California’s COVID isolation guidelines have played a key role in “stopping the spread” in the workplace by requiring contagious employees to isolate at home. As of March 13, 2023, the California Department...more
Mandatory Arbitration Agreements for Employees Are “On” Again...for Now.
Once upon a time, before a certain virus captured all of our attention, the California legislature enacted Assembly Bill 51 (AB 51), which prohibits...more
With 2023 here, it’s time for employers to comply with new California labor laws. Below is a highlight reel of these changes....more
1/10/2023
/ California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
DFEH ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Regulations ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pay Data ,
Pay Transparency ,
Reproductive Discrimination ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Local Minimum Wage Increases Go Into Effect on July 1, 2022 -
On July 1, 2022, a number of local governments throughout California will raise their minimum wage. In the City of Los Angeles, the new rate is $16.04/hour...more
7/1/2022
/ 401k ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Viking River Cruises Inc v Moriana ,
Wage and Hour
If you are trying to fight off the effects of COVID-19 variants in the workplace, the Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) has offered up a bit of alphabet soup in the form of updated ETS FAQ’s, more formally known as...more
On February 9, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 114, California’s 2022 COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave law. Under the new law, employers with 26 or more employees are obligated to provide up to 80 hours of...more
Yesterday, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued a new “Guidance for the Use of Face Masks.” The new Guidance, which goes into effect at the state level on February 16, 2022, limits the settings in which...more
Assembly Bill 654, which became effective October 5, 2021, makes notable revisions to an employer's COVID-19 exposure notification and reporting requirements. Last year's AB 685, which was effective January 1, 2021, provided...more
If you are looking for a silver lining in the giant Omicron clouds hovering (and surging) over us, we are happy to confirm that the CDC, the California Department of Public Health, and Cal/OSHA are finally aligned on the...more
In preparation for 2022, California employers have an abundance of new laws with which to comply. Below are the highlights curated by our Employment Law Group.
SB 331: The “Silenced No More” Bill, Prohibits Confidentiality...more
12/20/2021
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Contractors ,
FEHA ,
Harassment ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
OSHA ,
Settlement Agreements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Undue Hardship ,
Vaccinations
Traditionally, a signature affixed to a document indicates that the person who “squiggled” on the document understands and agrees to the terms of the document. However, an electronic signature may not be as easy to...more
As we shared several weeks ago in our client alert “Ready, Set, Re-open!,” Cal/OSHA recently revised its COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”) which instruct California workplaces how to re-open safely...more
The World Health Organization (“WHO”) and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (“DPH”) have issued new mask guidance in light of the spreading COVID-19 Delta variant, which is more contagious than other strains...more
With the re-opening of California businesses on June 15, 2021, Los Angeles County “retired” its safety protocols for most industries. Unfortunately, while businesses opened their doors to the public, California employers...more
A Simple 25-Page Order (Plus 32 Different Appendices) Guiding the Reopening of Businesses -
This Alert is for the employers with office worksites in Los Angeles County. Effective May 6, 2021, the Los Angeles County...more
On March 19, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 95 (SB95), which adds sections 248.2 and 248.3 to the California Labor Code, extending and expanding COVID-related sick leave obligations for all California employers of...more
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) has updated its COVID-19 guidance (effective 3/4/21, replacing its previous version from 7/24/20).
Use Caution If You Are Considering Making Vaccines...more
California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) has issued some new state forms for employers to provide to employees in 2021. Please be sure to update any new-hire or other personnel checklists that you...more