California

URGENT CA: New Employee Protections Against Retaliation

California, Employment Law & HR Topics, State & Federal Employment Law Updates, Termination / By

Senate Bill 497 (SB 497) heralds a significant shift in California’s employment law landscape, particularly concerning retaliation against employees for engaging in protected activities. This groundbreaking legislation introduces pivotal changes aimed at fortifying employee rights and imposing stricter penalties on non-compliant employers. Let’s delve into the core provisions of SB 497 and explore its implications …

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URGENT CA: Workplace Violence Prevention Model Plan

California, Employee Management, Employment Law & HR Topics, Safety, State & Federal Employment Law Updates / By

California has enacted a new workplace violence prevention law, SB 553/California Labor Code Section 6401.9, requiring nearly all California employers to develop and implement a written workplace violence prevention plan (which can be a part of an existing Illness and Injury Prevention Plan), provide annual training on the plan to employees, and maintain a log of …

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Monthly Compliance Calendar Alert – Keep Your Company Compliant in March: EEO-1 Reporting, CA Pay Data Reporting and Harassment Training

California, Discrimination & Harassment, Employment Law & HR Topics, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC), Federal Updates, State & Federal Employment Law Updates / By

If you are in HR, you’re no stranger to compliance management, forms, and deadlines—though keeping them all in order may be a different story. We want to be sure you are equipped with the right information to keep everything on track throughout the year, from ACA to FLSA. That is why we put together the …

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URGENT CA: Why Wage Theft is So Critical in California

California, Employee Management, Employment Law & HR Topics, State & Federal Employment Law Updates, Wage & Hour / By

Effective January 1, 2024, California has published a new Wage Theft Notice, often called the Notice to Employee at Time of Hire (and found in the Guardian HR Forms Library), which has been updated to reflect both the new California Sick Leave law, as well as non-exempt employee’s pay rates, designated paydays, appliable overtime rates, …

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2024 Employment Law Changes

California, Employee Management, Employment Law & HR Topics, State & Federal Employment Law Updates, Wage & Hour / By

California Paid Sick Leave (SB 616) California’s new paid sick leave law, Senate bill (SB) 616, significantly expands California’s existing paid sick leave law (i.e., the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014). Paid sick leave entitlement Under SB 616, an employee is now entitled to five days or forty hours of paid sick leave. Previously, …

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URGENT CA: California Paid Sick Leave Requirements Increase Effective January 2024

California, Employee Management, Employment Law & HR Topics, State & Federal Employment Law Updates, Wage & Hour / By

On October 4, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an increase to the current California Sick Leave Law (SB 616).Effective January 1, 2024, employers must increase the amount of sick leave provided to California employees from three days/24 hours to five days/40 hours.Accrual, Carryover and FrontloadUnder this new update, employers who permit employees to accrue paid …

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URGENT CA: California’s Minimum Wage to Increase to $16 per hour in January 2024

California, Employee Management, Employment Law & HR Topics, State & Federal Employment Law Updates, Wage & Hour / By

The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) announced on Tuesday, September 26th  that California’s minimum wage will increase to $16 per hour for all employers on January 1, 2024. Some cities and counties in California have a local minimum wage that is higher than the state rate, which will supersede this rule. The change in …

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URGENT CA: Revised Criminal History Regulations Approved for California Employers

California, Employee Management, Employment Law & HR Topics, State & Federal Employment Law Updates / By

The California Civil Rights Department has approved proposed changes to the regulations applicable to the use of an applicant’s criminal history in making employment decisions. The revised regulations are effective on October 1, 2023. What Employers need to know: You still cannot inquire about an “applicant’s” criminal history prior to making a conditional job offer …

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URGENT CA: Updated Information for the 2022 Pay Data Reporting

California, Employment Law & HR Topics, State & Federal Employment Law Updates, Wage & Hour / By

On February 28, 2023, the California Civil Rights Division (CRD) – formerly known as the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (FEHA) – released updates to their frequently asked questions (FAQs) section on the 2022 California pay data reports, which covered employers must submit via the CRD’s pay data portal by May 10. California’s pay …

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URGENT CA: Federal Appeals Court Blocks California’s Ban on Mandatory Arbitration Agreements

California, Employment Law & HR Topics / By

  A federal appeals court just paved the way for California employers to continue utilizing mandatory arbitration agreements with employees and job applicants. California’s Assembly Bill 51 (AB 51), which was slated to take effect January 1, 2020, placing a ban on mandatory arbitration in employment in California has been the subject of back-and-forth legal …

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