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.
Archive for Governor Newsom
Governor Signs PAGA Reform Bills to Ease Burdens on Employers
California’s Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) deputizes any employee who has experienced a violation of virtually any state employment law to sue to recover penalties arising out of violations he or she experienced – plus penalties arising out of violations committed against every one of his or her…
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…
Governor Newsom Expands Cal/OSHA’s Enforcement Power
On September 27, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 606 (“SB 606”) into law. SB 606, which will go into effect on January 1, 2022, significantly expands the enforcement authority of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (“Cal/OSHA”). SB 606 Creates New Categories of Cal/OSHA Violations…
Supplemental Paid Sick Leave is Back in California – What Employers Need to Know
In September 2020, Governor Newsom signed AB 1867 into law, which created Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) rights for millions of California employees who were not eligible for such leave under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). We blogged about AB 1867 here. Since AB 1867…
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…
Employees Who Are Victims of Crime or Abuse Get Additional Leave Rights
On September 28, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2992, which significantly expands the circumstances under which protected leave is available to California employees who are victims of crime or abuse. California law already requires all employers to grant protected leave (meaning the employer cannot discharge,…
Under AB 685, Employers Have New COVID-19 Reporting Requirements
We recently blogged about SB 1159 here, which expanded protections for employees potentially exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace. On September 17, 2020, Governor Newsom also signed into law AB 685, which provides additional requirements for employers to report cases of COVID-19. AB 685 will not take effect…
Governor Newsom Signs SB 1159 Extending Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Employees Who Contract COVID-19
In response to COVID-19, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-62-20 on May 6, 2020. That order created a “rebuttable presumption” that certain employees who suffer a COVID-19 related illness or injury would be presumed to have contracted the virus in the course and scope of employment for purposes…
Pay Your Arbitration Fees Late? Risk Losing Your Right to Arbitrate
Senate Bill (“SB”) 707, which became effective on January 1, 2020, creates substantial consequences for employers that fail to pay the costs and fees associated with the arbitration on time. Specifically, after January 1, 2020, an employer that fails to pay arbitration fees within 30 days after such…