The first doses of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in California in mid-December. Although vaccines will not widely be available to most employees for many months, it is not too early for employers to start planning. It will be tempting for employers to require their...

Here is the second half of our two-part article on new employment law legislation affecting California employers. California Family Rights Act With certain exceptions, the existing Moore-Brown-Roberti California Family Rights Act tracks the federal Family and Medical...

The California Legislature recently concluded this session’s work. There are many new mandates for California employers. Some “urgency” laws took effect immediately upon passage. Others take effect on January 1. Employers must make changes now to prevent lawsuits and...

Effective immediately, most California businesses with more than 500 workers nationwide must comply with AB 1867. This “urgency statute” mandates up to 80 hours of paid sick leave for reasons related to COVID-19 illnesses. The law’s intent is to cover California...

The California Supreme Court issued several employment law decisions during the past year.  We summarize below the most important of these rulings

Newly revised anti-employment discrimination regulations, effective July 1, 2020, focus on pre-employment practices that likely are common in many industries. Employers should review application materials and hiring practices to ensure compliance with the new rules....

The United States Supreme Court issued several decisions during the October 2019 Term, which may affect California employers.  We review those decisions below. Babb v. Wilkie The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 prohibits employment discrimination against...

Governments’ efforts to address the novel coronavirus pandemic include measures that closed or curtailed many businesses’ operations. As governments relax these restrictions, businesses must hire, rehire, or recall employees who were laid off or paid to be on call....

Federal, state, and local governments have responded to hardships the Coronavirus pandemic has wrought on businesses and their workers.  Employment-related measures include new and expanded paid leave programs, in part designed to mitigate disruptions caused by school...

Many California employers have temporarily curtailed or even closed operations as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.  Even temporary layoffs may require employers to distribute notices under federal or California laws known as “WARN Acts.”  The Worker Adjustment and...

Employers must compensate employees for the time they spend waiting for management to inspect personal property before they leave work. That is the California Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in Frlekin v. Apple Inc., which is based on California’s longstanding...

Employers may have legitimate reasons to impose a dress code, set minimum grooming standards, or even mandate uniforms. These interests range from safety to branding, or customer satisfaction. California recently passed a law that affects employers’ discretion to set...