Seyfarth Synopsis: On March 4, 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) provided some much needed clarity in its updated COVID-19 Related Guidance. The Guidance answers many pressing questions...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Along with other locations across the country, California, Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico imposed sweeping restrictions and new guidance to contain the surge in COVID-19 infections. The latest round of...more
11/19/2020
/ Business Interruption ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Public Health ,
Quarantine ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
State and Local Government ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Traveling Employee ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 1, 2020, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved another temporary emergency ordinance, this time protecting employees, contractors, and job applicants from adverse employment action if...more
9/23/2020
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employees ,
Crisis Management ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Local Ordinance ,
Low-Wage Workers ,
Quarantine ,
San Francisco ,
Sick Employees ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: As counties begin loosening local restrictions and summer approaches, and in an effort to preempt a rise in COVID-19 cases, the California Department of Public Health issued a directive mandating that...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On May 7, 2020, the City and County of Los Angeles as well as the City of San Francisco released new orders and/or guidance regarding reopening plans for certain types of businesses....more
5/11/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Essential Workers ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Screening Procedures ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
On May 6, 2020 California Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-62-20, creating a rebuttable presumption that any employee in California who went to work between March 19, 2020 and July 5, 2020, and then tests positive for...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On May 7, 2020, California issued additional guidance to help businesses prepare to reopen as part of Stage 2 of the State’s 4-staged reopening roadmap. The guidance lays out 5 steps that certain businesses...more
5/8/2020
/ Agribusiness ,
Car Dealerships ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Ports ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retail Market ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Workplace Safety
On Monday, May 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California will move into Phase 2 of the State’s COVID-19 reopening plan on May 8. Among other things, the shift will allow non-essential retailers to offer...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Last week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the Public Health Emergency Leave Ordinance to expand paid sick leave to employees not entitled to leave under the federal Families First Coronavirus...more
4/16/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Guidance Update ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mayor-Breed ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Parental Leave ,
politics ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
San Francisco ,
Vacation Leave ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agency (CISA), on behalf of the Federal government, has issued a revised advisory memorandum listing “essential” infrastructure and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...more
3/30/2020
/ Cyber Threats ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Essential Functions ,
Essential Workers ,
Information Sharing ,
New Guidance ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Private Sector
Seyfarth Synopsis: As restaurant and hospitality consumers rethink their dining experiences, increased concerns are coming from food service providers about how to ensure food safety, reassure patrons, and address issues...more
3/13/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
China ,
Contamination ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food Service Workers ,
Franchises ,
Health and Safety ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Public Health ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Risk Management ,
Strategic Planning ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: On May 22, 2019, Colorado Governor Polis signed the “Equal Pay for Equal Work Act” which is the latest—and one of the most demanding—pay equity laws in the nation. ...more
5/24/2019
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Equity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Sex Discrimination ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: Google now finds itself in the unfortunate position of being accused of discrimination against women in pay and promotions and – according to a new complaint filed in California Superior Court – against...more
1/17/2018
/ Class Action ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Equity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Google ,
Pay Gap ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Technology Sector ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: Effective on January 1, 2018, California’s new salary history ban law will prohibit inquiries about an applicant’s salary history and will create an affirmative obligation to disclose a “pay scale” upon an...more
1/2/2018
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: After two previous failed attempts, California joins seven other U.S. jurisdictions to prohibit inquiries into an applicant’s salary history. Read on for a recap of the new law....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Mayor Ed Lee signed the “Parity in Pay Ordinance” (“Ordinance”) on July 19, 2017, prohibiting employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s salary history. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2018...more
7/27/2017
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: San Francisco is likely to be the next jurisdiction to prohibit employers from asking job applicants about wage history. If signed by the Mayor, as expected, the law will go into effect on July 1, 2018...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The West Coast is turning back to pay equity. Last year, California led the charge and became the first state to adopt a more onerous pay equity law. The East Coast then joined, with stringent pay laws...more
6/9/2017
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Equity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Wage and Hour