On September 29, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 984 into law. Effective January 1, 2023, employers will be prohibited from using “an alternative device equipped with tracking technology” to locate, track, watch, listen to, or otherwise surveil an employee...
Advising And Defending Businesses
Year: 2022
Scope of CFRA expanded to include “designated person” effective January 1, 2023
Effective January 1, 2023, the California Family Rights Act ("CFRA") will be expanded to include a "designated person" within the category of persons for whom an employee may take time off to provide care. The term "designated person" is defined in the CFRA to mean...
California Enacts Workplace Protections for Off-the-Clock Use of Cannabis
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 2188 into law, with an effective date of January 1, 2024, which will prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based upon their use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace.
Dealing with a conflict between employees
Your company has a solid core workforce that generally works well together. However, staff members don’t always stick around, and you may be bringing in new additions all the time. Conflicts among employees are always a possibility, especially if they feel aggrieved...
Non-compete provisions in California
Non-compete agreements were largely designed to protect businesses with employees who have unique technical or creative skills and knowledge of the business from taking their knowledge and skills to a direct competitor as soon as they leave. However, often hourly...
Protecting against employment lawsuits with a handbook
Harassment and discrimination lawsuits can cost companies several thousand dollars. Even if the company prevails, the lawsuit can damage its reputation and consume resources. Many companies aspire to have a discrimination-free and harassment-free workplace, but...
What if an employee wants to report you?
As an employer, it’s your responsibility to provide a healthy and safe work environment where workers feel safe reporting issues they experience or see. While a whistleblower in your business may seem like a negative factor, the fact is, it provides you an opportunity...
U.S. Supreme Court: Individual PAGA claims can be arbitrated
The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a favorable decision for California employers in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana on the issue of whether employers may enforce valid arbitration agreements with employees for claims brought under California's Private...
Premium Pay For Missed Meal and Rest Periods Must Appear on Pay Stubs and Be Paid Timely
On May 23, 2022, the California Supreme Court in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc. held that an employer’s failure to pay premium pay to employees for missed meal or rest periods could also result in liability for waiting time penalties and wage statement...
Protect your company from retaliation claims
Employees have specific rights that they can expect their employers to uphold. One of these is if an employee engages in "protected activity," such as making a complaint of sexual harassment, discrimination, or wage and hour violations, they can't be subject to an...