As the holidays approach, California employers should start preparing for a slew of new employment laws that become effective on January 1, 2026 or shortly thereafter. These include: AB 692 – Most Stay-or-Pay Agreements Are Now Illegal As we blogged about here, after January 1, 2026, most stay-or-pay agreements signed…
California’s hostility to non-compete agreements is well known among employers and employees. But now, with Governor Newsom signing AB 692, California has gone even further – now banning most “stay-or-pay” agreements that are signed on or after January 1, 2026. A “stay-or-pay” agreement requires an employee to pay the…
When an employer fails to pay an employee at least the minimum wage for all hours worked, current California law allows the employee to sue the employer and collect the minimum wages owed plus an additional amount known as “liquidated damages” equal to the amount of minimum wages…
A new decision from the California Court of Appeals in Bradsbery v. Vicar Operating, Inc. confirms that an employee can prospectively waive a future meal period for a shift that does not exceed 6 hours so long as the prospective waiver is in writing, uncoerced, and revocable. Under…
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held in Ames v. Ohio Dept. of Youth Services that white, heterosexual, and other “majority group” employees are not required to meet a heightened standard in order to prove illegal employment discrimination. This decision puts majority group plaintiffs on the same legal…
Yes, it’s that time of year again! Private employers in California with 100 or more employees, or 100 or more workers hired through staffing agencies, must file their annual pay data report to the California Civil Rights Department (“CRD”) no later than May 14, 2025. This annual report…
On February 14, 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill S740, a new law that amends several provisions of the NY Retail Worker Safety Act by: – Extending the deadline by which covered retail employers (those with at least 10 employees) must provide workplace violence prevention policies, training,…
In a recent ruling, the California Court of Appeals in Rodriguez v. Packers Sanitation Service, Ltd. allowed an employee who had signed a mandatory employment agreement to avoid having to arbitrate his PAGA claim. The Court’s reasoning was that, by pleading his PAGA claim as a representative claim…
On January 1, 2025, all private sector employers in New York will be required to offer 20 hours of paid leave every 52 weeks for employees to attend healthcare appointments during or related to their pregnancy. All employees are eligible for this new benefit, even part-time and recently…
Governor Newsom formally concluded the 2024 legislative session by signing into law several new bills that greatly expand employee rights in California starting on January 1, 2025. Between now and then, California employers should review their existing policies to ensure compliance with these laws in the new year….