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Category Archives: Labor Law

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To Be or Not to Be [a New Law]? Countdown on Governor Brown’s Review of California Employment-Related Bills

By Beth V. West on Posted in Disability Discrimination, Discrimination, Employee Privacy Rights, Employment Contracts and Agreements, Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination

The September 30th deadline for Governor Brown to act on numerous employment-related bills passed by the California Legislature during the 2017-2018 Legislative Term is fast approaching. This Blog summarizes only 21 of the more than 40 employment-related bills currently on the Governor’s desk. Employers are encouraged to stay tuned to see which bills become law… Continue Reading

Pay Correctly Now or Pay More Later: All You Need to Know About Wage and Hour Laws

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

Summary of Program: Wage and hour lawsuits and claims filed with the Department of Labor and the California Labor Commissioner continue to plague California employers. Often employers are sued because of technical violations that occur simply because the employer is unaware of its legal obligations. Other times, employers make the mistake of treating an employee… Continue Reading

Good News Employers – There are Now Some Answers to Your Questions About the Recent Law Prohibiting Use of Prior Salary History

By Beth V. West on Posted in Employee Privacy Rights, Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

On July 18, 2018, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2282 which provides answers and clarifications to a number of questions employers had about the new law that went into effect in January 2018 (Assembly Bill 168 – codified in Labor Code section 432.3).  Section 432.3 prohibits employers from relying on the salary history information… Continue Reading

California Law Now Provides an Express Statutory Privilege Against Defamation Claims by Those Accused of Sexual Harassment

By Beth V. West on Posted in Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination

Under California law, an aggrieved person can bring a claim for defamation if the person is the subject of a false and unprivileged statement that is injurious to his/her reputation.  Defamation can take the form of libel or slander.  (Ca. Civ. Code Sec. 44.) Specifically “libel” is defined as a false and unprivileged publication by… Continue Reading

NLRB Provides Guidance Regarding Permissible Policies – Are Your Policies Compliant?

By Meagan Bainbridge on Posted in Employee Privacy Rights, Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination

Back in December, Beth West informed our readers that the NLRB had issued new (and more realistic) guidelines for evaluating whether employment policies and rules violate the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). As a reminder, the NLRB issued a new two-prong test for determining if facially neutral employment policies could interfere with the exercise of… Continue Reading

Do You Own a Hotel? – New Regulations Going Into Effect

By Meagan Bainbridge on Posted in Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations

In January, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board (OSHSB) adopted new regulations intended to prevent and reduce workplace injuries suffered by housekeepers in the hotel and hospitality industry. The new regulations, which go into effect on July 1st, require California hotel (and other lodging) employers to adopt a Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Program (MIPP) to complement the Injury… Continue Reading

New California Regulations on National Origin Going Into Effect

By Meagan Bainbridge on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination

As any reader of our blog knows, California employers are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of national origin (among other classifications). The Fair Employment and Housing Commission (“FEHC”) recently issued new regulations, which go into effect on July 1, 2018, expanding the definition of “national origin” to include an individual’s or ancestors’ actual or… Continue Reading

San Francisco’s New Rules for Enforcing its Paid Sick Leave Ordinance

By Shauna N. Correia on Posted in Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

On May 7, 2018, the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) published 14 new rules for interpreting the San Francisco Paid Sick Leave Ordinance (“PSLO”). The PSLO was amended on January 1, 2017.  The new rules take effect on June 7, 2018. We’ve summarized the 5 rules that our clients most frequently ask… Continue Reading

GOOD NEWS EMPLOYERS – The U.S. Supreme Court Says You Can Require Class Action Waivers In Your Arbitration Agreements

By Beth V. West on Posted in Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, Wage & Hour

On May 21, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued its much anticipated decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis.  In a 5-4 decision written by the newest jurist, Justice Gorsuch, the Court declares that employers can require employees to arbitrate their employment disputes individually and waive their rights to resolve those disputes through class… Continue Reading

The California Supreme Court Makes It More Difficult to Classify Workers as Independent Contractors – Assumes all Workers are Employees

By Ryan Abernethy on Posted in Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

On April 30, 2018, the California Supreme Court applied an expansive definition of independent contractor in a ruling that is sure to have a dramatic impact on many California businesses, and the burgeoning gig economy in particular. In the case of Dynamex Operations W. v. Superior L.A. County, a class action was brought on behalf… Continue Reading

Medical Cannabis Users May Soon be Protected Under FEHA – AB 2069

By Katie Collins on Posted in Employee Privacy Rights, Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

Assembly Bill (“AB”) 2069 was introduced by the California Assembly on February 7, 2018. Currently, California employers can deny employment or impose discipline on cannabis users, regardless of whether such use is for medical purposes. AB 2069 would amend the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) to make it an unlawful practice for an employer… Continue Reading

WEBINAR: Worker’s Compensation and Employment Law – Preventing Claims from Turning into Employment Lawsuits

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in FMLA and Other Leaves of Absence, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

Navigating a worker’s compensation claim in California can be challenging, to say the least. It involves a detailed understanding of several statutory schemes and steps along the way. Yet, processing the claim, insurance, and proper documentation can just be the start. Wary employers should carefully consider the labor and employment implications of a worker’s compensation… Continue Reading

Have You Ever Disagreed With An Employee About How They Should Do Their Work?

By Charles L. Post on Posted in Discrimination, FMLA and Other Leaves of Absence, Harassment, Labor Law, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

Beware.  Routine criticisms of job performance when directed to employees engaged in a caring profession, may subject you to retaliation and whistleblower claims. So you hire an employee, call her a brick layer.  She is a horrible brick layer.  You get in constant arguments with her concerning the quality of her brick laying.  You say… Continue Reading

Protecting Your Religious Entity Exemption Under The FEHA While Complying With Other Laws

By Shauna N. Correia on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

We all understand the common meaning of the word “employer.” In California, “employers” need to keep track of the various rules and regulations, all of which have their own definitions of the word.  Most frequently, the number of employees dictates whether a given statute or ordinance applies to the employer.  In addition, California’s Fair Employment… Continue Reading

Trap for the Unwary: Elimination of the Position as Opposed to Termination for Cause

By Charles L. Post on Posted in Labor Law, Reductions in Force, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination

Employers sometimes see a position elimination or reduction in force as a way of terminating employees that is kinder and gentler than termination for cause.  Position eliminations and reductions in force allow an employer to say goodbye to an employee without having to lay out the reasons for the separation on the employee’s door step. … Continue Reading

Attorney Beth West Testifies Before the California Legislature

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

Weintraub Tobin Shareholder, Beth West, shared her expertise and testified before the California Legislature’s Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response on February 15, 2018. The hearing focused on the legal issues surrounding sexual harassment and Ms. West’s testimony identified challenges employers face in having effective anti-harassment programs in place, as well as some legal… Continue Reading

California Labor Commissioner and Attorney General Jointly Answer “Frequently Asked Questions” on Immigration Sweeps

By Lukas Clary on Posted in Employee Privacy Rights, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

In case you haven’t noticed, immigration has been a hot topic of discussion in the news lately. While debates over Dreamers and the wall have dominated those discussions, the workplace has been swept into it all as well. On the one hand, the federal government’s efforts to curb illegal immigration have reached the workplace via… Continue Reading

Protected Leave For New Parents Now Applies to Mid-Size Employers in California

By Ryan Abernethy on Posted in FMLA and Other Leaves of Absence, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) have long required large employers with 50 or more employees to provide unpaid job-protected parental leave for employees to bond with a new child. Effective January 1, 2018, the New Parent Leave Act (NPLA) extends similar parental leave requirements to… Continue Reading

Settling Individual Labor Code Violations Kills PAGA Claims

By Zack Thompson on Posted in Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

On December 29, 2017, in Kim v. Reins International California, Inc., the Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles ruled that a plaintiff no longer has standing to assert PAGA claims once the plaintiff has settled and dismissed his individual claims against his employer. This decision could have far-reaching implications in PAGA litigation, changing… Continue Reading

The NLRB Reverses Itself – Good News for Employers and Their Employment Policies

By Beth V. West on Posted in Employee Privacy Rights, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations

In its December 14, 2017 decision entitled Boeing Company and Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, IFPTE Local 2001 (“Boeing”), the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) reversed itself and adopted a new and much more realistic standard for evaluating whether employment policies and rules violate the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). To read the… Continue Reading

DLSE Issues New Guidance on Rest Breaks – Is Your Handbook Up to Date?

By Meagan Bainbridge on Posted in Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (“DLSE”) recently issued updated guidance regarding rest breaks that reverses its previous position, which permitted employers to require that employees stay on work premises during their rest periods. In this new guidance, the DLSE states that employers “cannot impose any restraints not inherent in the rest period requirement itself,”… Continue Reading