California continues to police artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the workplace. Following proposed rulemaking on the use of AI for significant employment decisions, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan introduced Assembly Bill 1221...more
5/14/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biometric Information ,
California ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Privacy ,
Employee Monitoring ,
Employee Rights ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Surveillance
As we have reported time and again, California courts have applied extra scrutiny to employee arbitration agreements in recent years, and have not hesitated to deny arbitration where there is a reasonable basis for doing so. ...more
4/2/2025
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
California ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Motion to Compel ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Viking River Cruises Inc v Moriana
The California Court of Appeal dealt another blow to arbitration, just months after we reported the last such decision here.
This time, the Court ruled that the federal Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and...more
2/7/2025
/ Appeals ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
California ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Retaliation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Title VII
As we reported here, California’s Senate Bill (S.B.) 399, took effect on January 1, 2025. This law prohibits employers from requiring employees to attend meetings about the company’s opinions on political or religious...more
1/21/2025
/ California ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Declaratory Relief ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Litigation ,
First Amendment ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Labor Reform ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions
Wildfires continue to rage across Southern California, leveling entire neighborhoods, forcing evacuations for tens of thousands of people, and posing incredible hardship on businesses and their employees...more
1/14/2025
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
California ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Employment Contract ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Natural Disasters ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Paid Leave ,
Pre-Employment Agreements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wildfires
The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has released updated guidance clarifying how the state’s latest statutory enactments will impact employers’ paid sick leave obligations. Specifically, as we reported...more
The California Labor Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) recently refreshed its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims processing in light of the recent legislative reforms....more
Last summer, we reported here the California Supreme Court ruling that premium payments owed under Labor Code section 226.7 for meal and rest break violations constitute “wages.” The Naranjo et al. v. Spectrum Sec. Servs.,...more
3/6/2023
/ CA Supreme Court ,
California ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Code ,
Penalties ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements
A decade ago, a California Court of Appeal held that employers lawfully could round employees’ time punches if the rounding policy was neutral on its face and as applied. See See’s Candy Shops, Inc. v. Super. Ct., 210 Cal....more
It just wouldn’t be Fall without the passage of a flurry of new laws, shaking up the employment landscape in California. As of the close of the legislative session on August 31, several “job killer” bills (so called by the...more
9/22/2022
/ Bereavement Leave ,
California ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Governor Newsom ,
Labor Relations ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Pay Data ,
Pending Legislation ,
Workplace Safety
The California Chamber of Commerce has just identified a host of recently introduced “Job Killer” Bills pending before the California Legislature. This year’s list includes bills that would, among other things, inflate...more
4/18/2022
/ California ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employment Discrimination ,
FEHA ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Relations ,
Marijuana ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers Compensation Reform
In recent years, countries such as Iceland and Belgium and some domestic companies have experimented with the concept of four-day workweeks. Now, a new bill proposed by California Assemblymembers Cristina Garcia (D-Bell...more
4/15/2022
/ California ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Flexible Work Arrangements ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Workweek ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Over-Time ,
Pending Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour