Father’s Day came early for the class of new dads who settled their gender discrimination lawsuit last week regarding JPMorgan Chase’s parental leave policy. As we discussed here, this lawsuit, and the one against Estee Lauder that settled last year, shed light on the importance of treating new parents equally in the workplace, regardless of their sex. With the topic of parental leave in the news and at the forefront of political debate, there…

In a world of instant gratification, double tapping, and asking Siri for the answers to your burning questions, the concept of an annual performance review is pretty much as “over” as MySpace. Would you wait a calendar year before telling your surgeon they botched a recent procedure? Or a year to complain about bad service in a restaurant? Of course not. And yet, the most common complaint I hear from entrepreneurs is that they just…

As the new year begins and I trade my ski boots for my office heels, I’m committed to getting organized for 2019. Specifically, I have compiled a list of issues to keep on my radar for the upcoming year, and I thought I would share them. 1) Keeping up with Local Developments- Though California municipalities, especially San Francisco, have led the way in passing more employee-protective local laws, such ordinances are popping up all over…

It’s that time of year again. Time for holiday parties, ugly sweaters, and summaries of legal developments. The #MeToo movement has resulted in a slew of new bills addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. They include: Assembly Bill (AB) 3109 prohibits language in contracts or settlement agreements that bars anyone from testifying in administrative, legislative or judicial proceedings concerning alleged criminal conduct or sexual harassment. I think that those provisions would have been void…

No lazy Sunday for Governor Jerry Brown!  Today he signed four new bills into law, taking major steps to combat sexual harassment in the wake of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Here is a brief overview of the new laws and what they mean for California employers: Senate Bill 820 prohibits non-disclosure provisions in settlement agreements related to civil or administrative complaints of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and workplace harassment or discrimination based on sex. The…

Guest Blog Post by Summer Associate Josie Lopez As the millennial generation becomes the majority of the workforce, the composition of the workplace is changing significantly, and companies are starting to realize they are going to have to keep up with the times. Growing up in the age of social media, information and feedback have become instantaneous, and no one expects continuous feedback more than millennials. Not only do they expect it, they need it. That’s why…