Upending the longstanding practice of employers including no-rehire clauses in agreements resolving employment disputes, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law that will prohibit such provisions in employment...more
On October 13, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 51 into law, banning most employment arbitration agreements in California starting January 1, 2020. This new law is expansive in scope but short...more
10/17/2019
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
FEHA ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Legislation ,
Preemption ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit certified to the Supreme Court of California the question of whether that court’s landmark 2018 decision in Dynamex v. Superior Court should be applied...more
9/26/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Appeals ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Due Process ,
Dynamex ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Franchises ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Question of Law ,
Retroactive Application ,
State Labor Laws
On September 18, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), a bill that will dramatically alter whether, and under what circumstances, businesses may classify workers as independent contractors...more
9/24/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Retroactive Application ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On September 18, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law sweeping legislation—Assembly Bill 5 (A.B. 5)—that will dramatically reshape the contours of California’s workforce and economy, and potentially...more
9/19/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
This article is an update to prior publications from Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute regarding Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), passed by the California legislature on September 11, 2019.
On September 11, 2019,1 the California...more
9/16/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Misclassification ,
Pending Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Retroactive Application ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
This article is an update to prior publications from Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute regarding Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), currently pending in the California legislature.
On August 30, 2019, the California Senate...more
9/3/2019
/ Appropriations Bill ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
Retroactive Application ,
State and Local Government
With the resumption of the current legislative session on August 12, 2019, the California Senate Appropriations Committee briefly considered Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), the legislature’s purported solution to the California...more
8/14/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Misclassification ,
Pending Legislation ,
Retroactive Application ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government
Assembly Bill (AB) 5, currently pending in the California legislature, would impose the “ABC” test on California businesses and workers, dramatically altering the legal standards applied in evaluating whether a worker is an...more
8/9/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Misclassification ,
Pending Legislation ,
Risk Assessment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Employers in the Golden State are well aware that last year in Dynamex v. Superior Court the California Supreme Court adopted the ABC test for determining whether workers are employees or independent contractors. ...more
7/25/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
Retroactive Application ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Vicarious Liability
On July 10, 2019, the California Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee (Committee) advanced a proposed legislative response to the California Supreme Court's opinion in Dynamex v. Superior Court, which...more
7/16/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Misclassification ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
September 1, 2018 marked the last day for the California legislature to pass bills and forward them to Governor Jerry Brown (D) for his consideration. Governor Brown has until September 30 to sign, veto, or otherwise decline...more
9/5/2018
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Breastfeeding ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Employee Rights ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
FEHA ,
Harassment ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hostile Environment ,
Joint Employers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Pending Legislation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Workplace Safety
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, many states have been making concerted efforts to address and prevent sexual harassment through proposed legislation. On July 9, California Governor Jerry Brown signed one of those...more
A California Court of Appeal dealt another blow to employers in a recent ruling interpreting the state’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). In Lopez v. Friant & Associates, the court considered the proof required for a...more
On October 12, 2017, Governor Jerry Brown of California signed into law a state-wide ban on employer inquiries into an individual’s salary history. The new law (AB 168) will apply to all employers, including state and local...more
On July 19, 2017, Mayor Ed Lee signed an ordinance that will significantly affect the hiring practices of San Francisco employers. When Ordinance No. 170350 becomes operative on July 1, 2018, it will be illegal for employers...more