California Workplace Law Blog

Insight & Commentary on California Workplace Law Issues & Developments

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By: Jackson Lewis P.C.

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Latest from California Workplace Law Blog

On November 19, 2020, California’s Department of Industrial Relations Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board (“Board”) adopted a general safety order that, in effect, creates an emergency temporary standard specific to potential workplace coronavirus (“COVID-19”) exposures (“COVID-19 Prevention Rule” or “Rule”). While not the first state to adopt an emergency temporary standard (see our earlier posts on new requirements in Michigan, Oregon, and Virginia), California’s COVID-19 Prevention Rule is unique in that…
Only a week ago Governor Newsom “pulled the brake” on California’s reopening, including issuing a travel advisory. However, as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, the California Department of Public Health (“the Department”) has issued a limited stay-at-home order that will go into effect Saturday, November 21, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. PST. The Department also issued a Questions and Answers page regarding the limited stay-at-home order. The order applies to counties in…
California’s stair-step climb to a $15-dollar minimum wage continues. Effective January 1, 2021, the minimum wage for employers with 25 employees or less will increase to $13.00 per hour, and for employers with 26 or more employees, the minimum wage will increase to $14.00 per hour. Employers must remember this increase also affects minimum salary requirements for exempt employees. While some local minimum wages increase mid-year, many others also increase on January 1…
During the California Consumer Privacy Act’s (“CCPA”) amendment process prior to enactment, personal information in the employment context was highly contested and has continued to be a point of deliberation even after the CCPA’s effective date last January 1, 2020.  CCPA excludes certain employment-related personal information from most of the act’s requirements until January 1, 2021. This exemption was extended by the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) (a ballot measure supported last week by a…
At the end of California’s 2020 legislative session, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 973 (SB 973), which created pay data reporting requirements for employers starting in March 2021. However, the new legislation left some uncertainty for employers in several areas. The Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) promised in mid-October that it would be issuing a Frequently Asked Questions page to assist with compliance. On November 2, it did so—at least partially.  The…
On September 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 685 (“AB 685”) into law, and in doing so amended provisions of California’s Health and Safety and Labor Codes. AB 685 explicitly amended Labor Code section 6409.6 to grant California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (“DOSH” or “Cal OSHA”) authority to issue: (1) Orders Prohibiting Use (“OPU”) in certain circumstances where COVID-19 presents an imminent hazard, and (2) citations alleging serious violations of occupational…
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While some of the 2020 election is still undecided, California voters were fairly definitive in their support of Proposition 22, which will now allow app-based rideshare and delivery companies to hire drivers as independent contractors if various conditions are met. A key part of Prop 22 provides workers with minimum compensation levels, health insurance subsidies to qualifying drivers, medical costs for on-the-job injuries and prohibits drivers from working more than 12 hours in a…
It goes without saying that November 3rd 2020 was an important day for the future of the nation, but it was also a significant day for the future of California privacy law.  On Tuesday, a strong majority of California voters supported Proposition 24, a ballot measure which aims to expand and enhance the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).  The CCPA took effect in January, and companies are still grappling with its compliance. Companies have overhauled…
California employers have been inundated with new legislation this year and many employers may have forgotten Senate Bill 1123 (SB 1123), that was passed in 2018. SB 1123 expanded the Paid Family Leave program to include time off for employees to attend to a “qualifying exigency” related to an individual’s spouse, registered domestic partner, parent, or child who is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces. Although SB 1123 was passed in…
The California 2020 legislative session has closed, and employers should be preparing for 2021 by updating policies and procedures. Employers should ensure that the minimum wage for non-exempt employees’ wages will be appropriately increased for 2021. Since 2017, California has been working its way up to an eventual $15 minimum wage. Industry groups rallied for “pausing” 2021’s increase, but to date, there is no indication this will happen. On January 1, 2021, the state…