In 2018, in response to the #MeToo movement, California passed SB 820, the STAND (Stand Together Against Non-Disclosure) Act. SB 820 prohibited using confidentiality provisions in settlement agreements in cases involving claims of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and workplace harassment or discrimination based on sex. We blogged about SB820 previously here. After SB 820 became… Read More
Coming Right Up! New Wage and Hour Laws Effective January 1, 2022
California’s 2021 legislative session has ended, and with it came a number of new wage and hour laws going into effect on January 1, 2022. Each of these latest Assembly Bills (“AB”) and Senate Bills (“SB”) impact employers in various industries. California employers should review and plan to implement whatever changes apply to their businesses… Read More
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: Cal/OSHA and COVID
June has been a turbulent month for Cal/OSHA – and for California employers doing their best to protect the health and safety of their employees as California begins to open up. Back and Forth After implementing detailed and complicated amended Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) on June 3, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board held an emergency meeting… Read More
To (Require) Vaccines or Not To (Require) Vaccines: That Is the Question
California is preparing to reopen, and employers are readying to welcome their workforce back to offices. One of the biggest questions on the minds of many business owners is how to bring their workforce back together in “real time” while still maintaining the safety of all employees, as they are fundamentally obligated under Cal-OSHA to… Read More
Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades – Not Meal Periods
In the most significant meal periods decision in almost ten years, the California Supreme Court on February 25, 2021 decided Donohue v. AMN Services, LLC. While the Court in Donohue made clear that as long as meal periods are provided, employers do not have to “police” employees and force them to take meal periods, the… Read More
New Year, New Laws: Coming Soon to a Workplace Near You
The new year is right around the corner, and with it comes a host of new and amended laws for California employers. As we blogged about previously, numerous California employment laws changed in 2020 – COVID-19-related AB 685, AB 1867 and SB 1159, expansions to California’s Family Rights Act in SB 1383, new exemptions relating… Read More
Silent but Deadly? AB 1947 Packs a Punch for Retaliation Claims
With little public recognition in light of the ongoing pandemic-related legislation, Governor Newsom recently approved AB 1947 – legislation that will have significant impact on employers. AB 1947 amends two specific provisions of the Labor Code relating to employee retaliation claims – Section 98.7, which enables workers to file retaliation claims with the Labor Commissioner,… Read More
Governor Signs SB 1383 and Extends CFRA Leave to Employees at Small Businesses
On September 17, 2020, Governor Newsom signed into law SB 1383, radically altering the business and employment law landscape for small California employers. SB 1383 – which goes into effect on January 1, 2021 – significantly expands the reach of California’s Family Rights Act (CFRA), now mandating that employers with 5 or more employees must… Read More
U.S. Supreme Court: No Separation of Church and Employer
In July, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on two important cases relating to religion and employment. In both decisions, the Court came down squarely on the side of religious freedom, ruling in favor of employers. In Our Lady of Guadalupe School, two teachers brought employment discrimination claims against their former employers, both of which were Catholic… Read More
Reopening Safely: The California “COVID-19 Playbook” for Employers
On July 28, the State of California published a helpful resource for employers – the “COVID-19 Employer Playbook: Supporting a Safer Environment for Workers and Customers.” Many of our clients have confessed to feeling some measure of “COVID Weariness” – the feeling of being overwhelmed and exhausted by the nonstop onslaught of information that is… Read More