Insight & Commentary on California Workplace Law Issues & Developments
While many employers may be familiar with the requirement to provide harassment training, including training regarding the handling of internal complaints, what to do when a complaint is received may be less clear.
Fortunately, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has a harassment prevention guide for California employers.
The DFEH’s guide provides…
On September 25, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3175, which amends Labor Code section 1700.52 regarding sexual harassment prevention training requirements of age-eligible minors prior to the issuance of entertainment work permits. Previously, Section 1700.52 required a minor and the parent or legal guardian to complete the sexual harassment prevention training in…
In 2018, California law extended anti-harassment training requirements to employers with 5 employees or more and mandated that non-supervisors also receive such training, in addition to supervisors. The original deadline for completion of that training was January 1, 2020. Current California law requires employers with 5 or more employees to provide one (1) hour of…
The California Court of Appeal, in its recent decision in Schmidt, et al. v. Superior Court, County of Ventura 2020 Cal. App. LEXIS 54 (January 22, 2020), affirmed the trial court’s ruling in favor of the employer, the Ventura County Superior Court.
Two court employees alleged that a security guard employed by a private company…
Beginning January 1, 2020, agreements to settle employment disputes may no longer contain “no rehire” provisions, as California passes additional legislation spurred on by the #MeToo movement. California joins Vermont and Oregon as the first states to prohibit “no rehire” provisions in employment settlement agreements.
“No rehire” provisions typically state that a former employee will…
To ensure your business complies with the law and gets a dose of wellness, Jackson Lewis attorney Pamela Palpallatoc, RYT 200, and certified OfficeYogaTM instructor provides sexual harassment training integrated with yoga stretching, breathing and meditation. Yoga mats, fancy yoga pants, and sweating are all optional. Pamela has experience teaching in workplaces, where…
California has joined a number of states in passing legislation purporting to prohibit mandatory arbitration agreements for sexual harassment and other claims. Such laws have gained popularity in the wake of the #MeToo movement, but are subject to challenge under Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) preemption principles.
Under Assembly Bill 51, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom…
On August 30, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 778, which amends Section 12950.1 of the California Government Code. SB 778 extends California employers’ obligation from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021, to comply with sexual harassment trainings as outlined under California Government Code section 12950.1.
Please recall, per Govt. Code section…
California employment law is changing once again. By January 1, 2020, an employer having five or more employees will be required to provide at least one hour of sexual harassment training to all of its employees, once every two years. The training will be required to start within six months of the employee’s assumption of…
The year 2018 has seen significant shifts in the landscape of gender equality and sexual harassment. Complaints of sexual harassment in California nearly doubled in the first three months of 2018. From January through March 2018, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing received 939 complaints of sexual harassment. This reflects an increase of…
