Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Jerry Brown has till October 15 to approve bills the Legislature sent to his desk by its Friday, September 15, deadline, including bills that would require employers to ”show us the money” for certain employees and to make “mum be the word” for an applicant’s past conviction history.

The 2017 California Legislative Session kicked off on January
Continue Reading 2017 Labor & Employment Legislative Update: The End is Near!

Seyfarth Synopsis: Just when you thought it was safe to relax for the summer, California is giving employers four new reasons to keep on their toes. Laws going into effect on July 1, 2017, will address (1) domestic violence, (2) the minimum wage, (3) criminal background checks, and (4) transgender rights.

Notice Posting and Leave for Domestic Violence Issues
Continue Reading No Summer Break for Employers: New Duties Start July 2017

Fresh off the presses we bring to you the latest and greatest version of our beloved Cal-Peculiarities: How California Employment Law is Different, your California employment law roadmap. It is created to help private employers who do business in California steer through the nuances of California employment law. In the 2017 Edition, we continue to highlight recent court decisions
Continue Reading Flex Your Pecs! The 2017 Edition of Cal-Peculiarities Has Arrived!

Seyfarth Synopsis:  The California Fair Employment and Housing Council (“FEHC”) has approved new regulations, effective July 1, 2017, to limit employers’ use of criminal history when making employment decisions.

Request for a criminal background checkNew Regulation Highlights

Updating our prior post, the FEHC has finalized new regulations on employer consideration of criminal history, largely adopting the guidance set forth by the Equal Employment Opportunity
Continue Reading New Regulations Limit California Employers’ Consideration of Criminal History

Dashing through this holiday week of 2016, we wish you all peace, joy, and a renewed spirit with which to face the challenges sure to arise during the coming year.

Next week in this space, we’ll take a look back at the most significant Cal-peculiar employment law developments of the past year, and assess the winter wonderland going into 2017.
Continue Reading Jingle, Jingle—Happy Holidays to Our Readers!

Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 25 (yes, a Sunday), Governor Brown signed into law Senate Bill 1241. SB 1241, effective January 1, 2017, adds Section 925 to the Labor Code to restrain the ability of employers to require employees to litigate or arbitrate employment disputes (1) outside of California or (2) under the laws of another state. The only exception
Continue Reading SB 1241—What Happens in California Stays in California (Sorry, Vegas)