Wildfires continue to rage across the Los Angeles area, causing death, massive destruction of property, and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes. President Biden has approved a “Major Disaster Declaration” for...more
Along with signing into law a variety of employment-related bills in the 2023–2024 legislative session, Governor Gavin Newsom also vetoed numerous bills that would have further affected California employers. Here is an...more
Employers, it is time, once again, to update your existing handbooks and employment policies. California enacted several new laws that will affect your business beginning Jan. 1, 2024. On the flip side, in a win for...more
On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill (AB) No. 1356, which would have required employers to provide workers with earlier notice in the event of a mass layoff. Specifically, AB 1356 would have amended...more
As with every new year, California employers may face an abundance of new laws that will regulate the workplace in 2024. Governor Newsom has until October 14, 2023 to approve or veto the bills discussed below. Unless...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Now that the Legislature’s September 14, 2023 deadline to pass bills to the Governor has come and gone, we are providing an overview of which employment bills are before the Governor for consideration,...more
With the recent proliferation of Big Tech layoffs in California, it may be time for employers doing business in California to revisit the requirements surrounding the federal and state layoff laws. Employers that are covered...more
On September 29, 2022, California passed Assembly Bill (AB) 1601, which requires an employer of customer service employees in a call center to comply with the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (Cal/WARN)...more
When considering an employee layoff or business shutdown, as we reported here, employers should keep in mind that longer layoffs in California will trigger Cal-WARN Act rules. Unlike its federal counterpart, California’s WARN...more
On March 23, 2020, the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) issued “Guidance on [the] Conditional Suspension of California WARN Act Notice Requirements under Executive Order N-31-20.” The DIR provided guidance...more
Like some other states, California has its own state version of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The Cal/WARN law applies more broadly, with some different provisions than the federal...more
**UPDATE: This article was updated on September 25, 2020 to reflect updates and developments in the law.** The Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with over 100 employees to follow...more
In the last few days, federal, state and local governments have issued formal and informal guidance addressing family leave, paid sick leave, the California WARN Act and the state’s shelter-in-place orders to address the...more
State and federal governments continue to roll out new COVID-19 laws, regulations, and executive orders. As a result of the ever-changing legal landscape, employers are left confused at the multitude of rules they must follow...more
The coronavirus pandemic has already had a massive impact on businesses. Many companies have announced layoffs, furloughs, or unpaid leaves of absence....more
Last Update: 3/25/2020 at 12:00 p.m. Emergency declarations – including a California state-wide stay at home order – and a variety of executive and health orders issued from federal, state, county, and city authorities in...more
The California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act (Labor Code Section 1400 et seq.) sets forth procedural requirements that a covered employer must follow prior to a mass layoff, relocation, or...more
By way of Executive Order, California Governor Gavin Newsom suspended, until the end of the COVID-19 emergency, enforcement of the state's WARN Act (Cal-WARN) in connection with mass layoffs or shutdowns brought about by...more
In response to the ongoing disruption caused by the growing coronavirus pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-31-20 (the “Executive Order”) temporarily suspending the 60-day notice requirements...more
Under both the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act and its California equivalent (Cal-WARN) covered employers are required to provide at least 60 days' notice before executing a mass layoff or...more
As many counties in California issue executive orders and proclamations to either close certain businesses or shelter-in-place, California employers are faced with the difficult decision whether to lay off employees while...more
An update to our blog post from March 17. We reported on Tuesday that coronavirus-related layoffs might be covered by California's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. After our post was published, Gov....more
By way of Executive Order, California Governor Gavin Newsom suspended, until the end of the COVID-19 emergency, enforcement of the state’s WARN Act in connection with mass layoffs or shutdowns caused by COVID-19, and which...more
Governor Newsom recently issued an Executive Order that temporarily suspends the 60-day employee notice period under California's WARN Act. Effective immediately and continuing until the end of the ongoing emergency,...more
Check with counsel before you act. The unexpected and, in many ways, unforeseeable challenges facing employers in responding to COVID-19 are likely to become especially significant to employers in California who are...more