In this episode of California Employment News, Meagan Bainbridge and Ryan Abernethy break down the latest PAGA reforms and what employers need to know to reduce penalties and stay compliant. From new cure opportunities to proactive audits, they cover actionable steps to protect your business.
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Shortly after taking office, President Trump signed Executive Order 14173 (“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”) commonly referred to as the “Anti-DEI Order” (hereinafter simply referred to as the “Ex. Order”). Among other things, the Ex. Order directs federal agencies “to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.” However, as pointed out by many legal commentators and at least one federal district court, the Ex. Order conspicuously does not define what constitutes an “illegal DEI preference or program.” Continue Reading The DOJ and EEOC Move Forward With Enforcement Of The President’s Executive Order 14173 (aka ANTI-DEI ORDER)
Last year, we reported on the reforms to the Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) that Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on July 1, 2024. The reform legislation was pushed through to avoid a ballot vote on a measure seeking to repeal PAGA entirely in the 2024 election. The legislation was aimed at providing some relief to employers from the flood of meritless PAGA claims and provide mechanisms for early resolution. The legislation also gave the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) the resources and ability to expedite hiring and to fill vacancies in the CA Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) which is the division responsible for PAGA administration and oversight. While the reforms did not appear deter the “serial filer” firms from filing a record number of cases (9,463 PAGA notices were filed in calendar year 2024 – a jump from 8,100 the prior year), we are extremely pleased to report that the LWDA and its new hires, have begun taking a much more active role in these cases at an early stage and cracking down on the worst abusers of the PAGA statutes.Continue Reading An Update on PAGA Reform from the Trenches – Finally, Some Relief for Employers from Meritless Claims
Recent legal developments have impacted drug and alcohol policy enforcement in the workplace. In this episode of California Employment News, Weintraub Labor & Employment attorneys Lizbeth “Beth” West and Ryan Abernathy provide an overview of the latest legal updates, best practices for implementing these policies, and how they apply to remote workers.
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If you followed California’s 2024 Legislative term, you know that Senate Bill 399 (“SB 399”) was passed and signed into law by Governor Newsom on September 27, 2024. For the most part, SB 399 has been described as a new “captive audience” law that prevents most, but not all, employers from taking any adverse action against an employee who declines to attend an employer-sponsored meeting in which the employer or its agents discuss “political matters” or “religious matters.” The law came about during a time of great political division in the US, and was aimed at protecting an employee’s right to hold their own political and religious views, and be free of intimidation by their employer.Continue Reading You Can’t Make Me Go to that Meeting! CA Law Prohibits Adverse Action Against Employees Who Refuse to Go to Certain Meetings
