As business owners and members of the labor and employment law community know all too well, California’s AB 5 went into effect on January 1 of this year. The law imposed the “ABC test” for determining whether a worker should...more
10/1/2020
/ ABC Test ,
Borello Test ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exemptions ,
Gig Economy ,
Governor Newsom ,
Independent Contractors ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Newspapers ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Signed into law on September 28, 2020, AB 1731 moves California’s work sharing program into the 21st century by mandating an online application process and specific deadlines for delivering claim forms. Work sharing is an...more
9/30/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EDD ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Flexible Work Arrangements ,
Furloughs ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Layoffs ,
New Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Share
Effective January 1, 2021, SB 1383 expands the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to cover smaller employers and provide access to leave for additional covered reasons....more
AB 5, California’s sweeping and landmark independent contractor law, became effective on January 1, 2020. By January 6, bills were already being introduced to amend the law. At one time, more than 30 such bills were...more
Each year, Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute provides its “July is the New January” report on labor and employment laws that become effective in the middle of the year. In 2019, we reported on scores of new laws that took...more
6/10/2020
/ Ban the Box ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Distracted Driving ,
Electronic Disclosure ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fluctuating Workweek ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Health Insurance ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sick Pay ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
Since its enactment last fall, California’s AB 5—legislation adopting the so-called “ABC test” for purposes of determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or statutory employee—has dominated not only the legal...more
3/10/2020
/ ABC Test ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
Popular ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On February 7, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California issued an order supporting its injunction of Assembly Bill 51 (AB 51), an expansive anti-arbitration law enacted in October, which was...more
2/10/2020
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Contract Terms ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
FEHA ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Regulations ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
Preemption ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Restraining Orders ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
TRO
A California federal court has granted a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of Assembly Bill 51, an expansive anti-arbitration law enacted in October and set to take effect on January 1, 2020....more
2/4/2020
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
FEHA ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Regulations ,
Motion To Enjoin ,
New Legislation ,
Preemption ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Restraining Orders ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
TRO
Seeking to tighten worker misclassification enforcement in New Jersey, on January 20, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a package of legislation to add misclassification penalties, allow stop-work orders against...more
1/29/2020
/ ABC Test ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Franchises ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Information Sharing ,
Joint Liability ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Posting Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Stop Work Orders ,
Wage and Hour
The battle over the scope and applicability of the so-called “ABC test” in determining California employers’ potential liability under wage and hour and other state labor laws continues unabated....more
1/24/2020
/ ABC Test ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Franchises ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On Wednesday, January 15, 2020, the California Supreme Court agreed to review a second case raising questions as to the scope and retroactivity of its landmark 2018 Dynamex decision....more
1/22/2020
/ ABC Test ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Petition for Review ,
Retroactive Application ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On January 2, 2020, the Attorney General for the State of California released the title and summary of Initiative 19-0026—a proposed ballot measure that would overturn the state’s recently enacted independent contractor law,...more
1/6/2020
/ ABC Test ,
Ballot Measures ,
Delivery Drivers ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Ridesharing ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
A federal court in California has prevented, at least for now, an expansive anti-arbitration law from taking effect on January 1, 2020. Under Assembly Bill (AB) 51, enacted on October 10, 2019, employers cannot require...more
12/31/2019
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Contract Terms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Labor Disputes ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Legislation ,
Preemption ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Restraining Orders ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
TRO
The fight over the scope of the “ABC test” for determining the status of workers under California state law continues unabated. A series of court filings last week suggests that state and local officials may be gearing up to...more
11/19/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Appeals ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
Retroactive Application ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Strategic Enforcement Plan ,
Wage and Hour
In the wake of California’s enactment of Assembly Bill (AB) 5—legislation that threatens to reclassify 2 million California independent contractors as “employees” under California labor and employment laws—legal questions...more
10/31/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Dominos ,
Dynamex ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
McDonalds ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Retroactive Application ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Businesses with operations in California have begun to identify options and implement strategies for compliance with Assembly Bill (AB) 5, which imposes the ABC test for identifying whether a worker is an independent...more
10/30/2019
/ 1099s ,
ABC Test ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Restructuring ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Tax ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Income Taxes ,
Independent Contractors ,
IRS ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
Out-of-State Employees ,
Retroactive Application ,
Safe Harbors ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Rates ,
Wage and Hour
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
With the usual flurry of activity at the end of the legislative session, California has enacted a slew of bills with labor and employment ramifications....more
10/14/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Apprenticeships ,
Arbitration ,
Bias ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Definition ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Leave of Absence ,
New Legislation ,
Printed Publications ,
Settlement Agreements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
As employers in the Golden State attempt to prepare for the brave new world—courtesy of AB 5—that will greet them on New Year’s Day, federal and state courts in California continue to grapple with the scope and purpose of the...more
10/14/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Dynamex ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Retroactive Application ,
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
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