California’s legislature has passed two new statutes that increase the protections for employees arbitrating workplace disputes.

SB 1007, which passed on September 1, 2016, gives any party to arbitration proceedings “the right to have a certified shorthand reporter transcribe any deposition, proceeding, or hearing as the official record.” I routinely advise employers to have depositions and hearings reported since it makes it easier to cite to the record when there’s a … um … a record.

The other new statute, SB 1241, passed on September 9, 2016. This statute says that arbitration provisions can’t require California employees to arbitrate their claims in other states or require arbitrators to apply other state’s laws.  I think that, even under prior law, such requirements would have been deemed unconscionable, especially since courts have been vigilant in insisting that employees not be required to bear expenses or burdens in arbitration that exceed what they’d be required to bear in court actions. We expect the governor to sign both measures.

[View source.]