Seyfarth Synopsis: The Legislature concluded its 2023-24 session in the wee hours of its August 31, 2024, deadline to pass bills. Now it’s up to Governor Newsom to call the plays as to what employment bills he will sign into law. The bills for his consideration read intersectionality into FEHA protected categories, recast victims’ time off provisions, adjust paid family
Continue Reading Legislative Update: Legislature Hikes the Ball For Signing KickoffPAGA Reform: AB 2288 and SB 92 Passed
Seyfarth Synopsis: PAGA reform was officially introduced in the state Assembly and Senate! The language of the bills were released detailing the most substantive changes to PAGA in its 20-year history, and Governor Newsom signed them into law on July 1, 2024. The bills have numerous provisions that benefit California employers, including imposing more restrictive standing requirements for plaintiffs, codifying…
Continue Reading PAGA Reform: AB 2288 and SB 92 PassedCalifornia Takes the Match With Adolph Ruling
Seyfarth Synopsis: The California Supreme Court held that a plaintiff whose individual PAGA claims are compelled to arbitration retains standing to pursue representative PAGA claims in court in Adolph v. Uber Technologies, Inc., meaning that their claims may live on way past the first volley.
Wimbledon may be over but, on Monday, the California Supreme Court returned Viking River…
Continue Reading California Takes the Match With Adolph RulingCalifornia Legislative Update: What’s Left To Affect You?
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?
A New Year’s Resolution—Time to Replace PAGA
Seyfarth Synopsis: In recognition of PAGA’s failure to protect California’s workers for the past 18 years, and the tremendous toll it has taken on California businesses, 2022 is the year to pass a proposed ballot initiative to amend this troublesome statute. The California Fair Pay and Accountability Act on the ballot this year aims to replace PAGA with alternative Labor …
Continue Reading A New Year’s Resolution—Time to Replace PAGA
New Restrictions in Settlement and Severance Agreements Headline Governor Newsom’s Final 2021 Legislative Approvals
Seyfarth Synopsis: On Saturday, October 9, 2021 Governor Newsom signed the last of 2021’s pending employment-related bills, including a bill imposing even more restrictions on settlement agreements. The new laws will become effective on January 1, 2022. This post summarizes the new approvals as well as other new key employment laws with which California employers will need to comply.
Governor Signs Garment Manufacturer, Wage Theft, and Other Employment-Related Bills
Seyfarth Synopsis: On Monday, September 27, Governor Newsom signed a number of employment-related bills, including bills aimed at combatting wage theft and wage/hour violations by garment manufacturers, all of which go into effect on January 1, 2022. The Governor also vetoed two measures by Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez aimed at paid family leave and recall rights for hotel workers.
Going…
Continue Reading Governor Signs Garment Manufacturer, Wage Theft, and Other Employment-Related Bills
Warehouse Quota Bill Signed, Agricultural Worker Card Check Bill Vetoed
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Gavin Newsom has approved AB 701, which will impose notice and other requirements on employers of employees subject to quotas in large California warehouse distribution centers, and has vetoed AB 616, an agricultural worker card check bill.
Acting on the first two major employment-related bills of interest to private employers, Governor Newsom on September 22, 2021 approved…
Continue Reading Warehouse Quota Bill Signed, Agricultural Worker Card Check Bill Vetoed
California Legislative Update: House Of Origin Deadline Unplugs Employment Bills
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
Legislative Update: Paid Leave and Accommodation Tops 2021 Legislative Year
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