With the Governor’s September 30 deadline to sign bills behind us, we review the employment bills that made the cut to become laws, as well as those that didn’t survive the season. The most notable new laws read...more
10/23/2024
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
California ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
FEHA ,
Freelance Workers ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Reform ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Race Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: With the Governor’s September 30 deadline to sign bills behind us, we review the employment bills that made the cut to become laws, as well as those that didn’t survive the season. The most notable new laws...more
10/2/2024
/ California ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
FEHA ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Legislature concluded its 2023-24 session in the wee hours of its August 31, 2024, deadline to pass bills. Now it’s up to Governor Newsom to call the plays as to what employment bills he will sign into...more
9/13/2024
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
FEHA ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Reform ,
Pending Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: Prepare for new California workplace legal requirements effective January 1, 2024, now. Seyfarth has you covered with all the ways to protect your workplace just like Kevin McCallister defends his house....more
12/18/2023
/ California ,
DLSE ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals approved state-owned hospital’s exclusion of nursing student’s service animal that posed a direct threat to patients and staff with severe allergies where no reasonable...more
12/5/2023
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hospitals ,
Medical Students ,
Patients ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Service Animals ,
Title II
Seyfarth Synopsis: Among new workplace legal requirements effective January 1, 2024, making employers green in the face with end of the year preparations are necessary revisions to Wage Theft Notices. They must be ready for...more
12/1/2023
/ California ,
DLSE ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft
Seyfarth Synopsis: California has increased the minimum wage of fast food workers to $20, and authorized the creation of the Fast Food Council comprised of representatives from labor and management to set minimum standards...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: As we blogged about previously, California passed a landmark pay transparency law in September 2022. As promised, the Labor Commissioner’s office has issued FAQs addressing big employer questions regarding...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Taking it down to the wire, Governor Newsom approved the vast majority of labor and employment bills that ran the legislative gauntlet, including bills that will expand pay data reporting and pay scale...more
10/4/2022
/ Bereavement Leave ,
Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Layoffs ,
Marijuana ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pay Transparency ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: SB 1162, approved by Governor Newsom on Tuesday, September 27, will require employers starting January 1, 2023, to disclose pay scales to current employees and on job postings, and to report even more pay...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: SB 1162, which may soon be signed into law, will require employers to report even more pay data to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD, formerly DFEH), including median and mean pay gap information....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: SB 1162, which may soon be signed into law, will require employers to report even more pay data to the California Civil Rights Department (f/k/a the Department of Fair Employment and Housing until July 1,...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: SB 62, which became effective January 1, 2022, makes those involved in the chain of garment manufacturing jointly and severally liable for certain labor law violations, and eliminates piece-rate...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On Monday, September 27, Governor Newsom signed a number of employment-related bills, including bills aimed at combatting wage theft and wage/hour violations by garment manufacturers, all of which go into...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Gavin Newsom has approved AB 701, which will impose notice and other requirements on employers of employees subject to quotas in large California warehouse distribution centers, and has vetoed AB...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Headlining the number of employment-related bills California legislators introduced by the February 19th deadline are those that would extend COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave and provide other leaves...more
3/8/2021
/ ABC Test ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Independent Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Paid Leave ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sick Leave ,
Telecommuting ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft
Seyfarth Synopsis: September 30 was Governor Newsom’s last day to sign or veto bills the Legislature passed by its August 31 deadline. Some new laws—including COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave and workers’ compensation...more
10/2/2020
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Governor Newsom ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Code ,
New Legislation ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order suspending some Cal-WARN Act obligations, attempting to ease struggling employers’ obligations in the face of COVID-19; but note that employers...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Newsom has approved some of the bills most feared by employers, including bills to ban employment arbitration, extend FEHA administrative deadlines, codify the Dynamex ABC test, and create San...more
10/15/2019
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
FEHA ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
New Legislation ,
Organ Donation ,
School Shootings ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: California employers racing to ensure all their employees receive mandatory harassment training by the end of the year can now take their foot off the gas. In response to an outcry from employer groups...more
9/6/2019
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Compliance Dates ,
Corporate Culture ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hostile Environment ,
Risk Management ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
Seyfarth Synopsis: The hotly contested AB 5 was put on hold, but is widely expected to be revived before the end of the legislative session....more
8/16/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Misclassification ,
Pending Legislation ,
Retroactive Application ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government
The number of ADA Title III lawsuits filed in federal court in 2018 hit a record high of 10,163 – up 34% from 2017 when the number was a mere 7,663. ...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: August 31 was the California Legislature’s last day to send bills to Governor Brown for his approval or veto by his September 30 deadline. Chief among them are bills addressing sexual harassment....more
9/5/2018
/ #MeToo ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Contract Terms ,
Corporate Culture ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
FEHA ,
Harassment ,
Hostile Environment ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pending Legislation ,
Record Retention ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Waiver of Rights
Seyfarth Synopsis: Plaintiffs who pursued numerous web accessibility actions under Title III of the ADA are now using website accessibility to test the limits of a different area of law – employment law – California’s Fair...more
4/13/2018
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
FEHA ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Popular ,
Public Accommodation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Title III ,
Website Accessibility ,
Website Owner Liability ,
Websites
Seyfarth Synopsis: After initially dismissing a sweeping class action complaint alleging systemic pay discrimination on behalf of “all women employed by Google in California,” the Court has now decided to allow an amended –...more
4/3/2018
/ Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Equity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Google ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Technology Sector ,
Wage and Hour