Seyfarth Synopsis: Every year California enacts a host of new laws that mean even the most diligent employers need to give their handbooks and policies a review and make sure they are up to date with the latest developments. Seyfarth has a few tips for making sure your handbook in the New Year stays compliant all year long (or at

Continue Reading New Year’s Resolution: Update Your Employee Handbook

Seyfarth Synopsis: Late into the 2021-2022 legislative period, California approved a set of bills —AB 1041 and AB 1949—that expand the CFRA and the Paid Sick Leave law and provide a statutory entitlement to bereavement leave for workers in the state. The new laws leave one to wonder whether California legislators were at least partly inspired by a particular action

Continue Reading New California Laws Focus on the Designated (and the) Survivor

Seyfarth Synopsis: Taking it down to the wire, Governor Newsom approved the vast majority of labor and employment bills that ran the legislative gauntlet, including bills that will expand pay data reporting and pay scale disclosure requirements, extend COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, create mandatory wages and working conditions for fast food workers, and more.

On the night before his

Continue Reading California Employment Legislative Update: Pay Transparency Headlines 2022 Session

Seyfarth Synopsis: Having run the legislative gauntlet, the fate of California’s 2022 employment bills now lie with Governor Newsom’s pen, including bills that would expand pay data reporting and pay scale requirements, extend COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, and create mandatory wages and working conditions for fast food workers, and more.

August 31, 2022, marked the close of the 2022
Continue Reading Final Round: Employment Bills Making The Cut To The Governor

Seyfarth Synopsis: Headlining the employment-related bills that passed the May 27, 2022, House of Origin Deadline is AB 85, which extended COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave to September of this year, as well as bills related to accommodations, leaves, retaliation, and workers’ compensation.

On the deadline for bill introduction, back in February, California legislators introduced 611 bills between the
Continue Reading California Legislative Update: What’s Left To Affect You?

Seyfarth Synopsis: While the second half of the 2020-21 legislative session saw comparatively fewer employment-related bills than in previous years, those that made it to Governor Newsom’s desk carry some hefty obligations. The Governor has until October 10th to either sign or veto the bills presented. Here is our summary of the bills needing only the stroke of the
Continue Reading California Legislative Update: California Employers Await Newsom’s Bill-Signing Results

Seyfarth Synopsis: While the Buggles took creative liberties when they claimed that Video Killed The Radio Star, the House of Origin deadline axed a number of employment-related bills. California legislators began this legislative session at the apex of the pandemic, introducing a flurry of COVID-19-related bills, many of which failed to survive the June 4, 2021 deadline to pass
Continue Reading California Legislative Update: House Of Origin Deadline Unplugs Employment Bills

Seyfarth Synopsis: Headlining the number of employment-related bills California legislators introduced by the February 19th deadline are those that would extend COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave and provide other leaves and accommodations.

After last year’s pandemic-caused truncation of the 2020 legislative session—in which the governor signed only 372 new laws, the fewest since 1967—many expected the introduction of a large
Continue Reading Legislative Update: Paid Leave and Accommodation Tops 2021 Legislative Year

Seyfarth Synopsis: In 2020, California enacted SB 1383 which, as of January 1, 2021, amended Government Code section 12945.2 to expand the California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”). These changes will require employers who have been subject to the CFRA to ensure their policies are up to date, as well as bringing new employers into the family of businesses who must
Continue Reading California’s (Modern) Family Leave

Seyfarth Synopsis: Although there’s no right or wrong time to do a handbook and policy update, we recommend doing them annually, as California law continually changes. Fall is a good touch point to make changes for the next year start, particularly since new laws typically become effective on January 1.

Though it’s late October, California temperatures just now are dropping
Continue Reading Fall Into Handbook And Policy Update Season