Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 9, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1867, which requires private employers with 500 or more employees nationwide to provide COVID-19-related supplemental paid sick leave to their...more
9/18/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Rights ,
Food Service Workers ,
Governor Newsom ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 9, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1867, which requires private employers with 500 or more employees nationwide to provide COVID-19-related supplemental paid sick leave to their...more
9/11/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Rights ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Food Service Workers ,
Governor Newsom ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
Workplace Safety
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: The California Legislature has passed a series of bills for Governor Newsom to consider. He now has until October 13 to approve or veto bills such as a Dynamex codification bill and a San Francisco-inspired...more
9/20/2019
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Arbitration ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Damages ,
Employee Definition ,
Employee Training ,
Entertainment Industry ,
FEHA ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Commissioners ,
Labor Regulations ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minor Children ,
Modeling ,
Motion Picture Industry ,
New Legislation ,
Organ Donation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Race Discrimination ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Student Athletes ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Injury
Seyfarth Synopsis: California Legislators sent Governor Jerry Brown 1,217 bills to consider in his final bill-signing period as Governor—more than any California governor has seen since 2004. The final tally: 1016 signed, 201...more
10/2/2018
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Board of Directors ,
Breastfeeding ,
Class Action ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Diversity ,
Employee Training ,
Governor Brown ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Mediation ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Screening Procedures ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Waiver of Rights ,
Woman Board Members
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Jerry Brown has already signed into law legislation covering meal period exceptions for truck drivers delivering commercial feed, adding communications to be considered as “privileged” for purposes...more
9/17/2018
/ Commercial Truck Drivers ,
Immigrants ,
Internal Reporting ,
Labor Code ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Privileged Communication ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Trucking Industry ,
Wage and Hour
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
Seyfarth Synopsis: Dominating this spring’s planting of proposed employment-related legislation are bills aimed at ending sexual harassment and promoting gender equity. Among the secondary crops are bills regarding...more
3/23/2018
/ Ban the Box ,
Breastfeeding ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Flexible Work Arrangements ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
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: New statutory obligations for California employers in 2018 will include prohibitions on inquiries into applicants’ salary and conviction histories, expanding CFRA to employees of smaller employers,...more
10/17/2017
/ Ban the Box ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
DFEH ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Identity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Reform ,
LGBTQ ,
New Legislation ,
Parental Leave ,
Raids ,
Retaliation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws ,
Transgender ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Jerry Brown has till October 15 to approve bills the Legislature sent to his desk by its Friday, September 15, deadline, including bills that would require employers to ”show us the money” for...more
9/20/2017
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
DFEH ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Equity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Parental Leave ,
Pay Gap ,
Pending Legislation ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Reproductive Discrimination ,
Retaliation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 11, AB 1209, the Gender Pay Gap Transparency Act, which would require larger employers in California to publish differences in pay between male and female employees and Board members, left the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Pay equity and Ban The Box bills lead the list of bills approved to continue their quest (moving to the other house of the California Legislature) to become California law....more
6/8/2017
/ Ban the Box ,
Debit and Credit Card Transactions ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Holiday Pay ,
Immigrants ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Parental Leave ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pending Legislation ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Reproductive Discrimination ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Retail Workers ,
Retaliation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Tips ,
Union Dues ,
Veterans ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: Back from Spring Break, and Back to Work: Our List of L&E Bills to Watch in the remainder of the 2017-2018 California Legislative Session. ...more
4/19/2017
/ Criminal Background Checks ,
FEHA ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Holiday Pay ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Internships ,
Legislative Agendas ,
OSHA ,
Over-Time ,
Parental Leave ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Tips ,
Union Dues ,
Veterans ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Jerry Brown recently signed pay equity legislation to build on SB 358, a gender pay equity bill that he signed just four months ago.
Recent state pay equity initiatives (in Massachusetts, New...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers in California: be aware and prepare for new laws increasing minimum wages and mandating overtime pay for agricultural employees; expanding the California Fair Pay Act to race and ethnicity and to...more
10/4/2016
/ Age Discrimination ,
Agricultural Workers ,
Background Checks ,
California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) ,
Choice-of-Law ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Domestic Violence ,
DUI ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Equal Pay ,
Fair Pay Act ,
FEHA ,
Forum Selection ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Janitorial Services ,
Juror ,
Leave of Absence ,
Lyft ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
OSHA ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Parental Leave ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Popular ,
Property Service Workers ,
Restroom Legislation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sharing Economy ,
State and Local Government ,
Talent Services Act ,
Transportation Industry ,
Uber ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
Wage Theft ,
Workplace Safety
Seyfarth Synopsis: Pending new bills that have now passed their house of origin would (i) expand DLSE enforcement authority, (ii) impose advance scheduling requirements on restaurant, grocery, and retail employers, (iii)...more
6/10/2016
/ Criminal Background Checks ,
DLSE ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Holiday Pay ,
Human Trafficking ,
Immigration Records ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
Military Service Members ,
Over-Time ,
Parental Leave ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pending Legislation ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Statutory Authority ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
Responding to inquiries regarding your company’s stance on pay equity can be dicey. Having a strategy on how you address questions is important.
Every time a client asks “what do I say” in response to employee...more
From high profile cases in Hollywood to the Silicon Valley, to high-profile legislation, gender pay equity has been top of the news in the past year. On January 1, 2016, the California Fair Pay Act – widely publicized as the...more
October 11, 2015, was Governor Brown’s last day to sign bills the California Legislature presented to him following the first year of the 2015-2016 Legislative Session. Below is a summary of what did and did not make Governor...more
10/14/2015
/ Amended Legislation ,
Arbitration ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Cheerleaders ,
E-Verify ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement ,
FEHA ,
Flexible Work Arrangements ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Brown ,
Grocery Store Workers ,
Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act 2014 ,
Holiday Pay ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Commissioners ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Sick Leave Act ,
Pay Equity Act (PEA) ,
Piece-Rate Pay ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Public Employees ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Retail Workers ,
Retaliation ,
Sports ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
Workplace Gender Equality Act
Monday, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB 897, a “clean up” bill he requested to address an omission in AB 359, which Governor Brown had signed into law on August 17, 2015. This legislation, effective January 1, 2016,...more
9/23/2015
/ Background Checks ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Compliance ,
Employee Retention ,
Grocery Stores ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Involuntary Reduction in Force ,
Terms and Conditions ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
WARN Act
The California Legislature adjourned Friday evening, September 11, to close its 2015-16 Legislative Session. It sent a number of employment-related bills to Governor Brown for consideration by his October 11, 2015 deadline to...more
9/22/2015
/ Arbitration ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Cheerleaders ,
E-Verify ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Grocery Stores ,
Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act 2014 ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Code ,
Leave of Absence ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Leave ,
Piece-Rate Pay ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Public Employees ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Retail Workers Bill of Rights ,
Retaliation ,
Veterans ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
Representing what media observers call the nation’s most aggressive attempt yet to close the salary gap between men and women, SB 358 would substantially broaden California gender pay differential law....more
On August 31, the California Legislature passed AB 465, aiming to “ensure that a contract to waive any of the rights, penalties, remedies, forums, or procedures under the Labor Code”—such as an arbitration agreement—is “a...more
Thursday, June 5 marked the last day for bills to pass out of their house of origin in the California Legislature. Here is a summary of some key employment bills that made it through (followed by some significant bills that...more
6/11/2015
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
E-Verify ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
FEHA ,
Flexibility Clauses ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Healthy Families Act ,
Healthy Workplace Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Holiday Pay ,
Job Applicants ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Sick Leave Act ,
Pending Legislation ,
Popular ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Protected Class ,
Public Employees ,
Retailers ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Veterans ,
Wage and Hour