California - General

It’s all over now but for the gubernatorial pen strokes – or not.

The week of September 9 is the last week of the 2013 session of the California Legislature. Of the 2,256 regular bills introduced in the Senate and Assembly, the finalists will be sent on to Governor Brown’s office for approval or veto. The Governor has a maximum of 30 days to sign or veto a measure

California Governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation (S.B. 462) amending the California Labor Code to limit employers’ ability to recover attorney’s fees and costs in actions for nonpayment of wages. Previously, California case law left open the possibility that Labor Code Section 218.5 permits th

We are now in the last two weeks of the 2013 California legislative session. August 30 was the formal deadline for any bills to be acted upon to clear the fiscal committees of either house this session. From here on out, according to the legislative calendar, there will be floor sessions only -- no

An amendment to the California Labor Code mandating temporary leaves of absence for firefighters, reserve peace officers, and emergency rescue personnel (Labor Code Section 230.4) will become effective on January 1, 2014.

An employer could be held liable for its employee’s off-duty accident as long as the proximate cause of the injury (here, alcohol consumption) occurred within the scope of employment, the California Court of Appeal has held, reversing summary judgment in favor of the employer. Purton v. Marriott Int

In response to our June 6, 2013 Restaurant Industry Newsletter, we received several questions about whether California's human trafficking statute applies to all restaurants and drinking establishments. As a result, we are providing the following answers as a guide to help you determine whether you

Executive Summary: The California Legislature has enacted a new law that requires certain businesses in the hospitality, transportation, and healthcare industries to post public notices regarding slavery and human trafficking or face stiff penalties. This new law became effective on April 1, 2013 an

An arbitration agreement contained in an employee handbook was not invalid simply because the employer could change the handbook in its discretion, the California Court of Appeal has ruled. Serpa v. California Surety Investigations, Inc., No. B237363 (Cal. Ct. App. Apr. 19, 2013). Reversing an order

“Agencies are barred from using a partner in a law firm as an advocate in a contested matter and another partner from the same law firm as an advisor to the decision maker in the same matter,” the California Court of Appeal has ruled in an arbitration case involving the termination of a police offic

Human trafficking is one of the 21st century’s buzz phrases. There is some disagreement on exactly what human trafficking means, but regardless of precisely how it is defined, it is widely accepted as a detrimental practice that should be stopped. Accordingly, a wide variety of local, national and i

In this podcast, Littler’s Christopher Cobey elaborates on employment laws that were recently passed in California. He provides insight on the significance of these laws for employers and human resources professionals and explains how they must comply in 2013.

Executive Summary: After the Mayans failed to predict the end of the world on December 21, 2012, it became apparent that California employers would have to comply with a string of new laws that take effect on January 1, 2013. Here is a summary of seven new employment laws to be aware of so you can r

The following chart lists the major pieces of employment legislation introduced in the California State Senate and Assembly during 2012 that were signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. All of the bills listed become effective January 1, 2013.

California Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law new requirements specifying when and how employers must respond to their employees’ requests for inspection and copying of their personnel files. The new requirements become effective January 1, 2013.

In a case that will impact employers whose employees use their own vehicles for work, the California Supreme Court is about to address whether an employer’s insurance covered a deadly automobile accident caused by an employee driving his own car. American States Ins. Co. v. Ramirez, No. S205073 (Cal

A human resources director who never signed her employer’s arbitration agreement, concealed that fact from her employer, and resigned her job could not be required to arbitrate her claims for wrongful termination and sexual harassment, the California Court of Appeal has ruled. Gorlach v. The Sports

Owner-operator truck drivers were not required to arbitrate whether they were misclassified as independent contractors in violation of the California Labor Code, where each of the parties’ arbitration agreements applied to any dispute that arose “with regard to its application or interpretation,” th

After a series of alleged incidents reported in the news media of employers (principally public employers) requesting or requiring access to employees' or applicants' personal social media accounts, legislators around the country rushed to introduce legislation in response to the public outcry. Mary

In its first change to the state statute on inspection of personnel files since the law was enacted a dozen years ago, the California Legislature passed, and Governor Jerry Brown signed on September 30, a bill that significantly changes the rights of current and former California employees, and the