It was another busy year in the California Legislature with regard to employment and labor issues. Of particular note for California employers are the new laws related to employee hiring practices with the prohibitions on requesting an employment applicant’s salary history information, limitations on the use of an employment applicant’s criminal conviction history, and the New Parent Leave Act, which provides 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave for employees of small employers (20 or more). Discussed in detail below are the most significant new laws pertaining to private employers in California that are effective January 1, 2018, unless otherwise noted. California employers should review their policies and procedures, especially those related to employee hiring, to ensure compliance with these new laws in 2018.

While California is busy providing additional protections for employees, the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board under the Trump administration are busy undoing various Obama-era decisions and regulations in a pro-employer shift likely to continue throughout 2018.