California Employment News: 2026 Minimum Wage Updates
Adaptive Reuse: From Desks to Doorways
Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast Summer/Fall 2014: Expectations Surge in Los Angeles Commercial Real Estate Market
Effective July 1, 2026, the minimum wage rate for the Los Angeles metropolitan area will increase to $18.42. Los Angeles employers are accustomed to minimum wage increases based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage...more
Many cities across California have adopted higher minimum wage and benefit requirements for hotel employers. The City of Los Angeles raised its wages for hotel and airport workers last year in advance of the Olympics. Many of...more
Land Use Matters provides information and insights into new CEQA and other land use appellate decisions and legal and regulatory developments, primarily at the Los Angeles City and County levels, affecting land use matters....more
In a major win for affordable housing in Los Angeles, on February 5, 2026, a federal court threw out a challenge aimed at stopping a 100% affordable housing project in Echo Park....more
As 2026 unfolds, Los Angeles is confronting two significant challenges. According to a Greater Los Angeles Office Report by Cushman & Wakefield, office vacancy is towering at 23%, with roughly 50 million square feet of direct...more
During the November 2022 Los Angeles Midterm Elections, voters approved Measure ULA (United to House LA), formally referred to as the “Homelessness and Housing Solutions Tax” and informally referred to as the “mansion tax.”...more
When the government approves a private development that diminishes neighboring property values, can a property owner maintain a takings claim? According to a recent California court decision, the answer is no – governmental...more
Employers in Los Angeles should prepare for adjustment to the minimum wage starting July 1, 2026...more
Few cities have been glamorized in film, music, and television like LA has. Unfortunately, many parts of the city continue to be impacted by high crime rates. The increase in violent and property crime (along with the rising...more
Los Angeles hospitality employers should be aware of an update regarding the Hotel Worker Training Ordinance. The City has released its list of Certified Public Housekeeping Training Organizations (PHTOs), and beginning...more
In less than three years, Los Angeles will welcome the world to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Over 15,000 athletes, tens of thousands of Games personnel, and millions of visitors will descend on Southern California,...more
In an effort to spur prompt rehabilitation of Pacific Palisades' commercial sector post-fire, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has enacted Emergency Executive Order 10 (EO10), a decree set to accelerate the authorization process...more
Another year, another minimum wage raise. In this episode of California Employment News, Weintraub attorneys Chris Horsley and Nikki Mahmoudi expand on updates to state and local wage increases and cover key cities like Santa...more
In July, the City of Los Angeles put the minimum wage increase for hotel workers on hold. Certain provisions were to take effect on July 1, 2025. The decision to pause the ordinance came after a referendum petition against...more
On August 20, 2025, the City of Los Angeles will implement its Tenants’ Right to Counsel (RTC) program, a citywide initiative designed to provide low-income tenants facing eviction or the loss of rental subsidies with access...more
In the first episode of "Property Pointers: Real Estate Law Simplified," Real Estate attorney Jake Lebovic discusses opportunities for adaptive reuse projects in Los Angeles. He explains how converting underused office...more
City of Los Angeles Planning Department - Annual Increase to Planning Applications and Affordable Housing Linkage Fees - On July 1, 2024, the annual increases to the Planning and Land Use Fees and the Affordable Housing...more
If an employee complains about a sexually suggestive picture circulating in the workplace that looks like her but is not, is that a hostile work environment complaint? It might be. In Lillian Carranza v. City of Los Angeles,...more
Carranza v. City of Los Angeles, 111 Cal. App. 5th 388 (2025) - Lilian Carranza, an LAPD captain, learned that a photo of a topless woman who looked like but was not Carranza was circulating electronically among LAPD...more
Los Angeles County has joined the ranks of other urban governments, including the City of Los Angeles, that have enacted fair workweek ordinances in attempt to provide workers with more predictable schedules and fairer pay....more
The City of Los Angeles has put the minimum wage increase for hotel workers on hold. Certain provisions were to take effect on July 1, 2025. This decision comes after a referendum petition against the ordinance was filed...more
Owners and operators of facilities damaged or destroyed by the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires should be aware of the risks posed by toxic contaminant releases during cleanup and, in particular, the regulatory requirements...more
California’s housing crisis has necessitated innovative legislative solutions at the state and local level to increase the supply of affordable housing across the state. Cities are required by state law to plan for a...more
Los Angeles County, California, recently joined the cities of Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Francisco, San Jose and Emeryville, California; New York City; Philadelphia; Chicago; Seattle; and Oregon as jurisdictions that have...more
In the wake of the devastating LA wildfires, the importance of stringent controls and oversight in disaster recovery efforts cannot be overstated. As we mobilize to rebuild and restore, it is crucial to learn from past...more