Well September 30, 2018 has come and gone.  As my September 19, 2018 article indicated, that was the deadline for Governor Brown to either sign or veto a large number of employment-related bills passed by the California Legislature during the 2017-2018 Term.  Out of the 21 employment-related bills I summarized in my September 19th article, 12 were signed into law, and 9 were vetoed.  Below is a list of the new laws California employers must comply with, as well as a list of vetoed bills where employers dodged the bullet.   To read the full article, please click here.

Bills Signed into Law.

  1. SB820. Prohibition on Non-Disclosure Provisions re: Sexual Misconduct & Harassment.
  2. AB3109. Right to Testify re: Sexual Misconduct.
  3. SB1300. Significant Revisions and Additions to FEHA; Prohibiting Certain Release and Non-Disparagement Provisions re: FEHA Claims; Expanding Employer’s Liability for Harassment by Third-Parties; Authorizing Bystander Training; and Outlining Legislative Declarations re: Litigating Sexual Harassment Claims.
  4. SB1343. Expansion of Training Requirements re: Sexual Harassment.
  5. AB2338. Sexual Harassment Training Requirements for Talent Agencies.
  6. AB1976. Acceptable Lactation Locations for Employees.
  7. SB970. Required Training of Hotel and Motel Employees re: Human Trafficking.
  8. AB2034. Required Training of Mass Transit Employees re: Human Trafficking.
  9. SB224. Sexual Harassment in the Professional Relationship.
  10. SB1123. Expansion of PFL Wage Replacement Benefits.
  11. SB1412. Clarifications on “Ban the Box” Law re: Criminal History Inquiries of Particular Convictions.
  12. SB826. Females on Board of Directors of Publicly Held Corporations.

Vetoed Bills.

  1. AB3080. [Prohibition on Non-Disclosures re: Sexual Harassment & Prohibition on Mandatory Arbitration Agreements re: FEHA claims].
  2. AB1867. [Records of Sexual Harassment Complaints].
  3. AB1870. [Extension of FEHA Statute of Limitations].
  4. AB3081. [Rebuttable Presumption of Retaliation against Sexual Harassment Complainant].
  5. AB2079. [Sexual Harassment Trainer Qualifications for Janitorial Workers].
  6. SB937. [Acceptable Lactation Locations for Employees].
  7. SB1223. [Harassment & Discrimination Prevention Policy & Training in Construction Industry].
  8. AB2496. [Rebuttable Presumption of Employment Status for Janitorial Workers].
  9. AB2732. [Immigration Documents & “Workers Bill of Rights

Takeaway:  California employers should evaluate the new employment laws discussed above as well as others that were passed, and take necessary steps to ensure compliance. The employment attorneys at Weintraub Tobin are happy to discuss the new laws and assist employers in complying with their legal obligations.