2022

The California Industrial Welfare Commission has 17 wage orders that apply to different employers based on their industry or occupation.  Although other than minimum wage, these wage orders have not been updated since 2001, they provide specific rules regarding a wide variety of employment compliance issues, such as overtime, expense reimbursements, uniforms, and suitable seating…

On June 8, 2022, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) Board, will meet to discuss and take potential action regarding a draft of its proposed regulations. The June 8th public meeting includes an agenda item where the CPPA Board will consider “possible action regarding proposed regulations … including possible notice of proposed action.”…

In April, a Los Angeles Superior Court held that Assembly Bill (AB) 979 which required publicly-held corporations headquartered in California to diversify by adding “underrepresented communities” to their board of directors, was unconstitutional. On May 13, 2022, a second Los Angeles Superior Court found Senate Bill (SB) 826, which required gender diversity on…

The underlying action, Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, was a class action brought by former and current employees, alleging violations of meal period violations. The plaintiffs sought not only premium wages for the violations but also waiting time penalties and penalties for failure to provide accurate wage statements. The results of the trial court…

As we head into the summer months, employers with outdoor worksites in California may wish to review their Heat Illness Prevention Plans (HIPP) and obligations under Cal/OSHA’s outdoor heat illness prevention standard.

Covered Employers

As the name of the standard implies, Cal/OSHA’s outdoor heat illness prevention standard applies to all employers with an outdoor…

Over the last 12 months, many employees have started to return to work at a worksite other than their home, even though some remain remote or partially remote. Employers may need a refresher on commute time for employees.

Under the California Wage Orders, hours worked are defined as the time during which an employee is…

In 2017, California started its stair-step climb to a $15.00 minimum wage, allowing smaller businesses with 25 employees or less to raise their minimum wage on a delayed schedule from larger businesses.  All employers regardless of size were scheduled to be at the same minimum wage of $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2023.

However,…

In a recent decision, the California Court of Appeal held that the doctrine of exclusive concurrent jurisdiction applies to a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) representative action in Shaw v. The Superior Court of Contra Costa County. The decision is good news for employers facing overlapping PAGA complaints.

Underlying Facts

On July 21, 2022,…