The California Supreme Court issued several important decisions in 2023 about issues such as COVID-19 take-home exposure and arbitrating Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) claims.

Employers should continue to be aware of several cases pending before the state’s high court. Here are the highlights and what these cases could mean for California employers.

PAGA

Under the California Wage Theft Protection Act (Cal. Labor Code section 2810.5), all employers are required to provide each employee with a written notice containing specified information at the time of hire, including wage and paid sick leave information. The notice must be in the language the employer normally uses to communicate employment-related information to

There are several posting requirements in California for employers and it is important to ensure the appropriate posters are displayed in an area frequented by employees where they may be easily read during the workday.

Two of California’s main administrative agencies that regulate workplace requirements, the Department of Industrial Relations and the California Civil Rights

In September 2021, California’s Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 62 which expands the definition of the garment manufacturing industry for purposes of wage claim enforcement to include brand guarantors.  A brand guarantor is a person who contracts for the performance of garment manufacturing.  Brand guarantors include persons who license a brand or name for garment

Employers of all sizes, potentially including individual owners, managers and executives, should be aware of heavier penalties or jail time for engaging in wage theft. According to the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, wage theft occurs anytime an employer does not pay workers what they are owed by law.

California’s Governor signed Assembly Bill 1003 (AB

As working new moms return to the workplace, employers need to remember pre-pandemic workplace requirements, such as lactation accommodations. At the start of 2020, California’s enhanced lactation accommodation law went into effect.

Under the law, every employer must provide a reasonable amount of break time to accommodate an employee expressing breast milk for the employee’s

On September 28, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 1384, which (1) expands the California Labor Commissioner’s representation to arbitrations for claimants who cannot afford counsel, (2) requires employers to serve petitions to compel arbitration on the Labor Commissioner, and (3) allows the Labor Commissioner to represent claimants in proceedings to determine whether arbitration

On September 9, 2020, the Governor signed Assembly Bill 1867 (“AB 1867”) which mandated both food sector employers and other industries, including employers with 500 or more employees, to provide supplemental paid sick leave (“COVID-19 Supplemental PSL”). The California Labor Commissioner, charged with enforcement of the new laws, has issued a Frequently Asked Questions Page

Confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases have risen swiftly in California and in response, administrative agencies have released guidance to employers regarding wage and hour issues and paid sick leave.

Late last, week, the Labor Commissioner’s office provided input on administering paid sick leave in light of coronavirus. The Labor Commissioner indicated that preventative care under paid