Seyfarth Synopsis: On May 7, 2025, Cal/OSHA released a draft proposal to revise the outdoor and indoor heat illness prevention regulations (8 CCR Sections 3395 and 3396), aiming to implement requirements from AB 2243, signed by Governor Newsom at the conclusion of the 2021-22 legislative session. These proposed changes alter how employers must respond to heat hazards, and introduce new
Continue Reading Sweating the Details: Cal/OSHA Proposes Changes to Heat RegulationsSeyfarth 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
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: Less than a week after the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted to approve Cal/OSHA’s controversial revisions to the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), it convened an emergency meeting on June 9, 2021, after which it voted unanimously to pull back the revision. The Board will now send the ETS back for another do-over, to align a new revision with
Continue Reading Take 3! Cal/OSHA ETS Revisions Still Pending
Seyfarth Synopsis: California Department of Industrial Relations’ (DIR) Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted a California OSHA emergency temporary standard regarding COVID-19. The emergency temporary standard will go into effect after it is reviewed and approved by the California Office of Administrative Law, which may be as soon as November 29, 2020. It brings with it new documentation,
Continue Reading Not So Happy Thanksgiving? Cal/OSHA Approves Temporary COVID-19 Standard
Seyfarth Synopsis: As employers expected, the pandemic has brought new challenges to managing a workforce, and of course, new litigation. Here we address hotspots of COVID-19 litigation in California to help employers know where they should be taking special care.
Participants on either side of recent employment litigation in California can often point to the same scapegoat: “COVID made me
Continue Reading The Ultimate Scapegoat: COVID Inspired Lawsuits in California
Seyfarth Synopsis: In the popular PBS show Downton Abbey, a large staff attends to the every domestic need of the British Earl and his family. Those of us somewhat less fortunate have likely felt the additional household burdens associated with the SIP orders. And as California businesses re-open, companies and workers have yet another chore to attend: cleaning uniforms
Continue Reading More Laundry? Keeping Uniforms Clean in the Time of COVID
Seyfarth Synopsis: Halloween is lurking just around the corner, and workplace festivities may present unusual challenges. Unsafe or offensive costumes, religious discrimination, and harassment are among the issues potentially facing employers around this time of year. Here are some tips to avoid the tricks and enjoy the treats.
Exorcise Your Right to Have Fun
It’s not uncommon to allow employees
Continue Reading Treating Employees To Halloween Fun Can Be Tricky
Seyfarth Synopsis: Automation is redefining the workplace. While some may fear that automation will displace workers, automation can enhance a company’s workforce and improve productivity. In this segment, we examine industry changes resulting from an automated workforce and identify future trends.
Many of us remember our neighborhood video store closing its doors, forever changing the way we select our Friday
Continue Reading Video Killed the Radio Star: Will Automation Kill the Labor Force?
Seyfarth Synopsis: California employers may not require employees to submit to random drug testing, except under very limited circumstances.
California public policy, stated in our Constitution, strongly favors the right of privacy. But employers have their own legitimate interest in maintaining a safe, drug-free work environment. So what’s the blunt truth about random drug testing in California?
As we
Continue Reading Random Drug Tests (Still) Not Advisable In Most California Workplaces