California - General

COVID-19 ushered in a new paradigm of remote working. Although some companies have already embraced a remote workforce or some semblance of one, this work model is new for many employers. Most employers are still grappling with a host of unique employer compliance obligations and concerns it brings

In May 2021, Santa Clara County implemented some unique requirements on employers in the County with respect to gathering information on the vaccination status of employees. On June 21, 2021, the Health Officer of the County of Santa Clara issued Santa Clara County’s June 21, 2021 Health Order phasi

On June 24, 2021, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti revised his

By: SCOTUS Decides Two Cases with Labor and Employment Law Implications The United States Supreme Court recently issued two decisions related to California labor and employment law. In one decision, the Court held that a California regulation allowing labor organizers a right to access workplaces wa

On May 18, 2021, the Santa Clara County Health Officer issued an order (May Order) that included a first-of-its-kind vaccination benchmarking mandate .

By: Restitution Under the UCL Is Not Damages California Plaintiffs frequently assert a duplicative claim under the Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”), California Business & Professions Code Section 17200 et seq. that relies on a violation of another law to establish liability, usually to make use of the

The Marin County, California Board of Supervisors has enacted an urgency ordinance that requires employers in the County’s unincorporated areas with 25 or fewer employees to provide supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) for certain COVID-19-related reasons through September 30, 2021. The ordinance was

On June 9, 2021, the Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) voted to withdraw the previously submitted Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) changes and instead consider further revisions at its June 17, 2021, meeting.

California is considering a bill to mandate implicit bias training for certain employees in the real estate industry.

The Ninth Circuit in Magadia v. Wal-Mart Associates, Inc. , No. 19-16184 (May 28, 2021) (“ Magadia ”), recently provided what is perhaps the first hopeful road map for employers

One of our favorite clients (ok, you are ALL our favorites) emailed me recently about the CDC’s new mask guidance. She asked a very practical question: “Do I follow the CDC guidance, or California’s guidance? And why the %$^* does everything keep changing! I have a headache.”

With the onset of warmer weather this spring and summer, now is a good time for California employers to review their recovery break policies.

On May 18, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors enacted an urgency ordinance that, under certain circumstances , requires all private employers to provide paid leave so employees can receive COVID-19 vaccine injections. This paid leave includes time employees spend traveling to and from

New CDC guidance that fully vaccinated persons may stop wearing masks and distancing in most settings is a welcome announcement after over a year of the COVID crisis. However, California employers should note that the new CDC guidance has an exception that largely swallows the guidance because masks

California law imposes various requirements on employers who hire minors.

California employers with 5 or more employees that do not already sponsor a qualified retirement plan must enroll their employees in the CalSavers Retirement Savings Program .

On May 3, 2021, the California Dept. of Public Health (CDPH) updated its guidance concerning face coverings and quarantine requirements for “fully vaccinated” people outside of the workplace. (See definition of “fully vaccinated” on the CDPH release).

It is now more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are still looming issues on which California employers must continue to focus in order to maintain compliance and to avoid administrative actions and potential litigation. During this engaging and timely session, Partner and Member of

By: Pending California Bills Suggest Trend Towards Flexible Work Arrangements As local and state governments shift towards a full reopening of public and private work sectors, following an unprecedented year in which remote work became a strategy for dealing with a global pandemic, businesses are cu

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in California Trucking Association v. Bonta, has reversed the preliminary injunction staying enforcement of AB 5 (now Labor Code § 2775). The Circuit Court determined that the California Trucking Association (“CTA”) is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its dist