Publications

On April 21, 2025, the California Court of Appeal issued a significant ruling in favor of employers. In Bradsbery v. Vicar Operating, the court held that revocable meal period waivers prospectively signed by employees are enforceable, unless the waivers are...

Within a few days of taking office, President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” which is aimed at “terminating all discriminatory and illegal preferences” in federal agencies and in the...

With a February 21, 2025, deadline to introduce new California legislation, several employment-related bills recently were unveiled. Although some of them may not make it to the Governor’s desk, they provide a snapshot of what lawmakers will be debating during this...

On January 1, 2025, Assembly Bill 2499 expanded the definition of “victim” for purposes of certain leaves and accommodations. Eligible employees may now use California Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act sick leave when they need time off to seek relief if they...

Employee handbooks contain key employment policies. Private sector employers should not only maintain handbooks, but also understand their significance and purpose. Below we cover the most important elements of effective employee handbooks. The Purpose An employee...

Fall marks the end of California’s legislative session and Governor Newsom’s review of employment-related bills. Below is a brief summary of the key laws affecting California employers that will take effect on January 1, 2025, or later. Discrimination AB 1815 The...

During its most recent term, the California Supreme Court issued several decisions that may affect California employers. We summarize those rulings below. Clarification on Compensable Time The Court took up an appeal from the Ninth Circuit in March regarding...

Employers must take remedial and preventive action to stop discrimination, harassment, and retaliation at work. To fulfill this obligation, internal human resources professionals and employment lawyers should understand how to effectively conduct investigations of...

On June 28, 2024, by a 6-3 vote, the United States Supreme Court overturned the long-standing Chevron doctrine. In rejecting this doctrine, the Supreme Court substantially limited the level of judicial deference accorded federal agencies’ interpretations of federal...

During its most recent term, the United States Supreme Court issued a few decisions that may affect California employers. We summarize those rulings below. Standard for Title VII Discrimination Claims Under Title VII, employers cannot “refuse to hire or to discharge...

Recently-enacted Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) amended the California Labor Code to require most California employers to establish and implement an effective, written workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP) containing specific information by July 1, 2024. An employer’s...

(This is part two of a two-part article.  Part one was published last month.) As we discussed in last month’s column, calculating the regular rate of pay can be complicated, and failure to do so correctly can result in significant liability for employers. Calculating...