ATTENTION CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS: MIDYEAR ROUNDUP OF GOLDEN STATE LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS BRINGS A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (PAGA REFORM!) AND SEVERAL HEADACHES FOR EMPLOYERS
Ocean waves aren’t the only thing washing over the Golden State this summer – California employers should brace themselves for a tidal wave of changes that may impact their workplace this season. This midyear roundup highlights what you need to know about recent legal developments of significance to California employers, including: Key changes under the PAGA […]
ATTENTION CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS: HAVE NO FEAR – PAGA REFORM IS FINALLY HERE!
Much to the relief of employers everywhere in California, PAGA reform has officially arrived! As a brief recap, on June 18, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom, in partnership with legislative leaders and business groups, announced an agreement to significantly reform the Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) – the most substantive overhaul in its 20-year history. On June 21, details […]
Save the Date: California Court Finds Material Breach of Arbitration Agreement For Late Payment of Fees
By Carol Shieh, Esq. California Code of Civil Procedures section 1281.97 states that if an arbitration agreement requires the drafting party to pay certain arbitration fees and costs, the arbitration initiation fees and costs must be paid within 30 days after the due date, or else the party will be deemed to have materially breached […]
ATTENTION CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS: CAL/OSHA UPDATES ITS EMERGENCY STANDARDS ONE MORE TIME
For the third time since originally issuing its Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”) on November 30, 2020, the Standards Board of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (“Cal/OSHA”) has announced the re-adoption of the ETS with substantive amendments. [See our June 21, 2021, and December 21, 2021 eAlerts for further detail on the previous re-adoptions.] The […]
ATTENTION CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS: New Federal Law Allows Employees to Opt Out of Arbitrating Sexual Harassment and Assault Claims
Employers who require their workforce to execute predispute arbitration agreements or class action waivers will soon no longer be able to prevent employees from bringing sexual harassment and assault claims to court or participating in joint sexual harassment or assault actions. Signed into law on March 3, 2022 by President Biden, the bipartisan Ending Forced […]
ATTENTION CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS: CDPH AND CAL/OSHA SAY POSITIVE/ EXPOSED EMPLOYEES CAN RETURN TO WORK SOONER WITH TESTING
Here we go again…On January 5, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) updated its “Guidance for Local Health Jurisdictions on Isolation and Quarantine of the General Public”, adjusting its recommendations regarding the isolation and quarantine periods for both vaccinated and unvaccinated workers. [CLICK HERE for the full text of the Guidance.] This guidance […]
ATTENTION CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS: Buckle Your Seatbelts – The Top 5 New Changes to California OSHA’s COVID-19 Guidelines
Update: On January 5, 2022, the California Department of Public Health issued an updated guidance extending the universal indoor masking requirement through February 15, 2022. As expressed in our prior eAlert on workplace COVID-19 guidelines, the rollercoaster had come to a temporary stop for California employees on June 17, 2021, with the first readoption of […]
ATTENTION CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS: IT’S DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN – STATEWIDE MASKING AND TESTING MANDATES ARE BACK
Update: On January 5, 2022, the California Department of Public Health issued an updated guidance extending the universal indoor masking requirement through February 15, 2022. In response to increasing COVID-19 numbers since Thanksgiving and concern that the Omicron variant and year-end holiday gatherings could lead to another wave of infections, the California Public Health Department […]