Recent Blog Posts
California Civil Rights Agency Reports Age Discrimination and Retaliation Claims on the Rise
California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing has spent the last several years strengthening protections for California employees and making it easier to file complaints and trigger official investigations. The efforts have resulted in a significant uptick in the number of complaints and lawsuits brought over the last few years. A recent report from… Read More »
California Legislature Passes Bills to Strengthen Workplace Breastfeeding Protections
A pair of bills recently passed by California’s legislature would strengthen protections for women breastfeeding in the workplace. The bills now await Governor Brown’s signature. Continue reading for details about the new laws, and contact a skilled California labor and employment lawyer with questions about how these laws could affect you or your organization…. Read More »
California Legislature Passes Bill Banning Employer Arbitration Agreements
The California Senate just passed a bill, AB 3080, that prohibits employers from requiring workers to enter into arbitration agreements as a condition of employment. AB 3080 now awaits Governor Brown’s signature. The bill, if signed, could affect millions of California workers: A recent study from the Economic Policy Institute found that over 67%… Read More »
California Governor Signs Law Barring Workers Accused of Harassment from Suing Employers and Accusers
Among the numerous bills addressing sexual harassment that came before the California State Legislature during the most recent session, one has recently been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. Read on to learn about the new law designed to protect those who accuse a worker of, or discuss accusations of, sexual harassment, and… Read More »
What is “National Origin” Discrimination?
New California Regulations Seek to Clarify Definitions and Workplace “English Only” Rules New regulations from the California Fair Employment & Housing Council clarify many aspects of employment discrimination related to national origin discrimination. While national origin discrimination is covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act at the Federal level and has long… Read More »
California Supreme Court Issues New Test for Determining if Worker is an Independent Contractor or Employee
In a decision that could have a massive impact on California workers and employers, the California Supreme Court has developed a new test for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee, and thus whether that worker is entitled to protections under the Industrial Welfare Commission’s (IWC) wage orders. The new test,… Read More »
New Bills before California Legislators Geared toward Protecting Harassment Victims
As national attention has shifted to the problem of sexual harassment and assault, especially in the media and other professional contexts, California state legislators have recently introduced three bills geared toward facilitating claims of assault and harassment in the workplace. Read on to learn how these bills could change how California employers handle workplace… Read More »
California Supreme Court Settles Dispute over Calculating Overtime
The Supreme Court of California has recently issued a ruling in the class action lawsuit titled Alvarado v. Dart Container Corp. of California, a case revolving around how a worker’s overtime rate of pay should be calculated when the worker has received a flat sum bonus during the pay period. Read on to learn… Read More »
San Francisco Judge Rules that GrubHub Drivers are Independent Contractors
In a landmark ruling addressing the legal rights of California workers in the growing gig economy, a federal judge in San Francisco has determined that a driver for GrubHub is an independent contractor and not an employee with rights under California labor law. The ruling could have a wide-ranging impact on those working for… Read More »
How Do New California Laws on Marijuana Legalization Affect Drug-Free Workplace Laws?
On January 2, 2018, retailers across the state of California—at least, those who managed to procure sales permits—began selling marijuana for recreational use. Now, both employers and employees in the Golden State are asking whether it is still legal for workplaces to utilize policies that prohibit marijuana use by employees who are off the… Read More »
