During its most recent term, the United States Supreme Court issued eight decisions that may affect California employers. We summarize these rulings below. Vaccine Mandates and Agency Deference On November 5, 2021, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (“HHS”)...

Employers must investigate potential workplace misconduct, particularly when it implicates internal equal employment opportunity policies. The “accused,” or respondent, in such an investigation, understandably needs to know the basis of the complaint against them....

The increase in remote workers has created many new and unique challenges for employers, one of which is how to onboard workers who never come to an office or job site.  California law requires employers to provide specific information to new employees in writing. ...

In April 2022, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) provided insight about its new pilot mediation program for certain claims under the California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”).  The program is a significant benefit to “small employers” subject to the...

On February 9, 2022, Governor Newsom signed SB 114, creating 2022’s version of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave.  The new law took effect on February 19, 2022, is retroactive to January 1, 2022, and expires on September 30, 2022. In addition to understanding the...

Even if your company is not involved in litigation, you still may receive a subpoena for a current or former employee’s records. Receiving a subpoena is not necessarily cause for alarm. It simply means that someone needs documents that may be in your company’s...

Wage and hour laws applicable to California employers are complex and ever changing. We briefly summarize below some of the various rules applicable to private sector, non-union employers and explain why wage-hour audits are critical. Sources of Law California...

Employers know they must confirm the identity and work authorization of each new hire by completing a Form I-9.  The Form I-9 is complex, and failure to properly complete it can lead to the imposition of hefty fines by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) and...

Come 2022, many California employers will once again need to make plans to provide mandatory EEO and “abusive conduct” training to all employees. Senate Bill 1343 became law in 2019, requiring employers to provide training every two years, with an initial training...

Jennifer Shaw spoke with Laura Ernde for a SHRM article regarding the California Labor Commissioner's Office undergoing training aimed at resolving workplace disputes before a formal hearing takes place. You can read the article here.

As we discussed in our previous article, “New California Workplace Law, Part One,” employers must be aware of a number of new California employment laws. Below is a brief summary of Part Two. Of course, employers should seek advice from experienced employment counsel...

2021 brought employers an avalanche of new laws and ever-changing COVID-19 obligations. The good news is that the California Legislature gave employers a bit of a break this session, and the changes for 2022 are not too overwhelming. Below is a brief summary of some...