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 footing as black, gay, and other minority… Read More
California Pay Data Reporting is Due May 14, 2025
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 must include the California employer’s mean and… Read More
NY Governor Signs Amendment to NY’s Retail Worker Safety Act
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, and notices from March 4, 2025 to… Read More
California Court Allows Employee to Escape Arbitration of PAGA Claim
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 only – meaning, the employee’s lawsuit sought… Read More
NY Becomes First State to Mandate Paid Leave for Prenatal Care
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 hired employees. This new paid prenatal leave… Read More
Get Ready — New Employment Laws Coming in 2025
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. New State Minimum Wage (Prop 32) On… Read More
New IRS Ruling Gives Employers and Employees More Benefits Flexibility
A recent IRS private letter ruling will potentially allow employees more flexibility to determine how employer 401K contributions are paid out to them.
California Employers Must Display New Whistleblower Rights Poster
Governor Newsom signed AB 2299 which requires all California employers to prominently display a new whistleblower rights poster in the workplace effective January 1, 2025.
July 1st Deadline for Workplace Violence Prevention Plans
As we blogged about here back in March, this coming Monday, July 1st is the deadline for California employers to have implemented their newly required Workplace Violence Prevention Plans (WVPP). July 1st is also the deadline by which employers must have conducted their first WVPP training with all employees. Cal-OSHA has created a template WVPP… Read More
Court Strikes Down California Anti-Arbitration Statute
The California legislature is notoriously hostile to mandatory arbitration agreements in the employment context. That’s because the legislature believes employers have more negotiating power than employees; thus, the arbitration agreements that employers give to employees often have one-sided terms that heavily favor the employer. The employee often feels that he has little choice and must… Read More
