The City of Los Angeles has put the minimum wage increase for hotel workers on hold.  Certain provisions were to take effect on July 1, 2025. This decision comes after a referendum petition against the ordinance was filed with the City Clerk’s office on June 27, 2025.

The ordinancewouldincrease wages and healthcare benefits for hotel and airport workers, along with requiring the provision of specified training for hotel workers. The referendum petition, filed by opponents of the ordinance, has triggered a suspension of the ordinance’s implementation.

The City Clerk’s office (the Clerk) is determining whether the petition contains the required number of signatures.   As a result, the ordinance is suspended and will not take effect while the petition is under review.

If the Clerk determines that the petition does not contain a sufficient number of signatures, the ordinance will take effect the following day of such determination. Conversely, if the petition contains the requisite number of signatures, the ordinance will remain suspended until approved by voters in an election called by the City Council.

For now, the hotel worker minimum wage will increase to $21.01 pursuant to the original ordinance effective July 1, 2025. If the amendments take effect, then the minimum wage rate will increase to $22.50 for hotels with 60 or more rooms.

Jackson Lewis will continue to monitor developments related to this ordinance. If you have questions about this or related issues, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.

Last year, California expanded victims’ leave provisions with Assembly Bill (AB) 2499. AB 2499 required the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), which is responsible for enforcement of the expanded law, to develop and publish a written notice of employee rights under the expanded law by July 1, 2025. As required, the CRD published the new notice, which is available on its website. The notice is available in 13 languages in addition to English.

AB 2499 requires employers to inform each employee of their rights established under the expanded law in writing upon hire, annually, at any time upon request, and any time an employee informs an employer that the employee or the employee’s family member is a victim.  AB 2499 allows employers to use the newly published notice developed by the CRD to satisfy this requirement.

The CRD also published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the updates to the law. The FAQs cover:

  • General Questions
  • Taking Time Off Work
  • Safety-Related Reasonable Accommodations

The FAQs specified that certification for an absence under the law can include the following:

  • Police reports
  • Court records or other proof of court appearance
  •  Documentation from a supportive service provider
  • A statement signed by the employee or someone acting on their behalf
  • Other documentation verifying that a qualifying act of violence happened

Such documents, if provided, should be kept confidential by the employer unless disclosure is required by federal or state law, such as in response to a valid court order or subpoena. An employer may also disclose such documents if it is necessary to protect an employee’s safety at work, such as calling the police to report immediate danger.

If you have questions about the requirements for posting or complying with the leave and accommodation requirements under the law or related issues, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.

As summer temperatures rise across California, it’s a good time for employers to review their responsibilities under Cal/OSHA’s heat illness prevention standards. These rules apply to both outdoor and indoor workplaces and are designed to protect employees from heat-related illnesses and injury. 

The outdoor heat illness prevention standards apply to all outdoor places of employment. For outdoor workplaces, employers must provide fresh drinking water, access to shade, and allow cool-down rest breaks when temperatures exceed 80°F, acclimatization procedures, and emergency response procedures. Additionally, high-heat procedures are required for specific industries including agriculture, construction, landscaping, oil and gas extraction, and transportation of certain products and materials. When the temperature reaches or exceeds 95°F, additional steps are required, such as closer monitoring and more frequent communication with employees. Training is also required for all outdoor employees and supervisors so that they can recognize the signs of heat illness and know how to respond.

Indoor workplaces are also covered under a newer regulation that took effect in 2024. If the temperature inside reaches 82°F or more, employers need to provide water, cool-down areas, acclimatization procedures, emergency response procedures, and supervisor and employee training. These regulations do not apply to incidental heat exposures where an employee is exposed to temperatures between 82-95°F for less than 15 minutes in any 60-minute period, with some exceptions. If the temperature or heat index hits 87°F, or if employees wear clothing that traps heat or work near a high radiant heat area and the temperature reaches or exceeds 82°F, monitoring and additional controls are required.

Finally, under both the outdoor and indoor standards, employers are required to establish a written Heat Illness Prevention Plan. This plan must contain the procedures implemented by the employer for the provision of water, shade, or cool-down areas, emergency response procedures, acclimatization procedures, and procedures for responding to high-heat work environments.

If a business includes both indoor and outdoor work, it’s important to evaluate each area separately and make sure the right protections are in place for each environment.

If you have questions about Cal/OSHA Heat regulations or related issues, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.

Employers in the healthcare industry in California are subject to a separate minimum wage from other employers.

Effective July 1, 2025, certain healthcare facilities will see an increase in their minimum wage rates. The following is a summary of the increases based on the type of employer.

Type of Healthcare EmployerCurrent RateIncreased Rate
Hospitals or Integrated Health Systems with 10,000 or more full-time employees, including skilled nursing facilities operated by these employers$23$24
Dialysis Clinics$23$24
Covered Health Care Facilities run by large counties with more than five million people as of January 1, 2023$23$24
Hospitals with 90% or more of their patients paid for by Medicare or Medi-Cal$18$18.63
Independent Hospitals with 75% or more of their patients paid for by Medicare or Medi-Cal$18$18.63
Rural Independent Covered Health Care Facilities$18$18.63
Covered Health Care Facilities run by small counties with fewer than 250,000 people$18$18.63

While several categories of healthcare employees will receive a minimum wage increase in July 2025. The following categories of healthcare employers will not have a minimum wage increase until July 2026:

  • Intermittent clinics, community clinics, rural health clinics, or urgent care clinics associated with community or rural health clinics
  • Covered Health Care Facilities run by Medium Sized Counties (250,000 to five million people as of 1/1/23)
  • Skilled Nursing facilities not owned, operated, or controlled by a hospital, integrated health care delivery system, or health care system
  • All other covered health care facilities not listed in the other categories and not run by Counties

Who is Covered?

The definition of “health care employee” is broad, encompassing a wide range of roles within healthcare facilities. This includes employees who provide patient care, health care services, or services supporting the provision of health care. Examples of covered roles include:

  • Nurses
  • Physicians
  • Caregivers
  • Medical residents, interns, or fellows
  • Patient care technicians
  • Janitors
  • Housekeeping staff
  • Groundskeepers
  • Guards
  • Clerical workers
  • Non-managerial administrative workers
  • Food service workers
  • Gift shop workers
  • Technical and ancillary services workers
  • Medical coding and billing personnel
  • Schedulers
  • Call center and warehouse workers
  • Laundry workers.

If you have questions about the healthcare minimum wage or related issues, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.

At the start of the year, the state minimum wage increased, along with several local jurisdictions. Many other California cities and counties also raise their minimum wage on July 1.

The following localities will raise their minimum wage on July 1, 2025:

LocalityCurrent
Minimum Wage		New Minimum wage
Alameda$17.00$17.46
Berkeley$18.67$19.18
Emeryville$19.36$19.90
Fremont$17.30$17.75
City of Los Angeles$17.28$17.87
County of Los Angeles (unincorporated areas only)$17.27$17.81
Milpitas$17.70$18.20
Pasadena$17.50$18.04
San Francisco$18.67$19.18
Santa Monica$17.27$17.81

These minimum wages do not reflect some local industry-specific minimum wage requirements such as those recently amended in the City of Los Angeles.

Do you have any questions about California minimum wage compliance or related issues? Contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.

On May 27, the City of Los Angeles passed amendments to the Living Wage Ordinance (LWO) and the Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance (HWMO). The development of these amendments began in December 2024, and since then have been the subject of debate and public comment.

Here is what hotel and airport employers need to know about the amendments.

Hotel Worker Amendments

The amendments include increases to the minimum wage, an hourly health benefit payment, and training for covered hotel workers.  These amendments apply to workers in hotels with at least 60 guest rooms.  The provisions of the ordinance may be waived pursuant to a bona fide collective bargaining agreement but only if the waiver is expressly set forth. 

The minimum wage rates will increase as follows:

Effective DateMinimum Wage
July 1, 2025$22.50
July 1, 2026$25.00
July 1, 2027$27.50
July 1, 2028$30.00
July 1, 2029, and annuallyAdjusted based on Consumer Price Index

Furthermore, effective July 1, 2026, if a hotel employer does not provide a worker with health benefits, the worker must be paid the wage rate indicated above plus an additional hourly wage rate equal to the health benefit payment in effect for an employer servicing LAX.

In addition to the above entitlements, hotel workers must be provided at least 6 hours of live and interactive instruction covering the following topics:

  • Hotel worker rights and hotel employer responsibilities.
  • Best practices for identifying and responding to suspected instances of human trafficking, domestic violence, or violent or threatening conduct.
  • Effective cleaning techniques to prevent the spread of disease.
  • Identifying and avoiding insect or vermin infestations.
  • Identifying and responding to other potential criminal activities

The training requirements take effect December 1, 2025.

Airport Employee Amendments

The amendments also increase airport employee minimum wage and health benefit payments as follows:

DateMinimum Wage
July 1, 2025$22.50
July 1, 2026$25.00
July 1, 2027$27.50
July 1, 2028$30.00
July 1, 2029, and annually          Adjusted based on Consumer Price Index

Beginning on July 1, 2025, the hourly health benefit payment provided to an airport employee must be at least $7.65 an hour. On July 1, 2026, the hourly health benefit payment will be adjusted by a percentage equal to the percentage increase in the California Department of Managed Healthcare’s Large Group Aggregate Rates.

If you have questions about the City of Los Angeles’ recent changes to these ordinances, please contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.

California and federal laws require lactation accommodations for breastfeeding employees. The federal lactation accommodation law called the PUMP Act has many of the same requirements as the state law, however there are some details of state law that California employers should take note of.

Here are the key points employers need to know.

California’s lactation accommodation laws are among the most comprehensive in the United States. Under California Labor Code Sections 1030-1034, employers are required to provide:

  1. Reasonable Break Time: Employers must provide reasonable break time for employees to express breast milk. This break time should ideally coincide with any existing break time provided to the employee. If it doesn’t, the break time for expressing milk does not need to be paid.
  2. Private Space: employers must provide a room or other location, other than a bathroom, in close proximity to the employee’s work area, which is private and free from intrusion while the employee is expressing milk. The location must be safe, clean, and free of hazardous materials and have the following:
  3. A surface for a breast pump and personal items;
  4. A place to sit; and
  5. Have access to electricity or alternative devices like extension cords.
  6. Moreover, the employee must have access to a sink with running water and a refrigerator or other cooling device suitable for storing milk in close proximity to the employee’s workspace.

Employers in San Francisco should be aware that the city and county have a separate Lactation in the Workplace Ordinance, which includes specific requirements. The San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement has issued an FAQ regarding this ordinance.

If you have questions about lactation accommodation requirements in California or related issues contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.

It is important for employers in California to understand what is permitted for wage deductions to maintain compliance and avoid potential pitfalls.

Employers in California may lawfully withhold amounts from an employee’s wages if:  (1) the employer is required to withhold certain amounts under state or federal law, such as federal and state income taxes, as well as contributions to Social Security and Medicare; (2) the employee expressly authorizes certain deductions in writing, such as the employee’s share of insurance premiums, benefit plan contributions or other deductions not amounting to a rebate on the employee’s wages; (3) the deductions are mandated by Court order, such as child support, alimony, or debt repayment (garnishments); or (4) the deduction is expressly authorized by a wage or collective bargaining agreement, such as union dues or negotiated contributions. 

However, there are certain deductions that California law prohibits, and, in many cases, the prohibition applies notwithstanding the employee’s written consent to the deduction.

  • Employers are not allowed to collect, take, or receive tips or gratuity left for an employee.
  • Costs associated with taking photographs or obtaining bonds required by the employer must be covered by the employer, as must the cost of uniforms if they are mandatory.  Furthermore, employees must be reimbursed for business-related expenses incurred during the performance of their duties.
  • Employers are generally prohibited from deducting wages for cash shortages, breakages, or losses of equipment that were borne from negligence or regular business operations.  Although deductions of amounts borne from losses from an employee’s dishonesty, willfulness, or gross negligence may be permissible, employers should still proceed cautiously and consult with legal counsel before doing so.  Moreover, recovering losses from payroll errors or past salary advances garners increased scrutiny from the courts.

Employees are protected from termination solely due to the existence or threat of wage garnishments.

To maintain compliance, employers should focus on clear communication with their workforce, ensuring that wage deductions are well-explained and authorized in writing. It is essential to conduct regular audits of payroll practices to ensure adherence to both state and federal laws.  

If you have questions about handling employee wage deductions in California or related issues contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has recently approved regulations under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to address discrimination in employment resulting from the use of automated decision-making systems, including artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms. These regulations apply to all employers covered by the FEHA and will likely take effect in July, once they complete the final administrative process of approval by the Office of Administrative Law.

Definition of Automated Decision Systems

An automated decision system (ADS) is defined as a computational process that makes or assists in making decisions regarding employment benefits such as hiring, promotion, selection for training programs, or similar activities. An ADS can result from AI, machine learning, algorithms, statistics, or other data processing techniques. The definition of ADS does not include word processing software, spreadsheet software, or other commonly used software for day-to-day work.

Regulations Against Discrimination

Under these regulations, it is unlawful for an employer to use ADS or selection criteria that discriminate against applicants or employees based on protected categories defined under FEHA. Evidence of anti-bias testing of ADS or similar practices may support defenses against discrimination claims. Anti-bias testing involves evaluating automated decision-making systems to identify and mitigate biases that may lead to unfair or discriminatory outcomes, ensuring the system operates equitably across different demographic groups. However, methods of conducting anti-bias testing may vary depending on the ADS used.

Recordkeeping

The regulations require preserving ADS data and related records for four years from either the date of the data’s creation or the personnel action involved, whichever occurs later, similar to other types of personnel records and selection criteria. Other revisions include adding ADS to regulations in the definition of “application” or included in “recruitment activity.” Additionally, the regulations specify that using ADS for certain skill testing may necessitate providing reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs or disabilities, ensuring non-discriminatory practices.

Compliance for Employers

For employers in California, the regulations clarify that when using ADS for any aspect of employment, caution should be applied to avoid discrimination. If you have questions about compliance with the new regulations or related issues, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.