Photo of Jonathan A. Siegel

Jonathan A. Siegel is one of the founding Principals of the Orange County, California, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He practices before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, state and federal agencies and courts.

Mr. Siegel also provides advice and counsel regarding labor and employment law with respect to various issues ranging from wage and hour law, reduction in force, WARN Act, discipline, leave management and harassment and discrimination issues. Mr. Siegel defends employers regarding different varieties of wrongful termination and discrimination claims.

Mr. Siegel has represented management in union organizing drives and regularly defends employers in unfair labor practice proceedings as well as in collective bargaining and arbitrations. He also has extensive experience conducting wage and hour preventive audits. He conducts single location and multi-location audits for employers. The scope of such audits can range from examining specific issues, i.e., exempt status under federal law and California, to comprehensive FLSA and California Labor Code audits. Mr. Siegel has conducted audits for a wide range of industries including, but not limited to manufacturing, retail, transportation, various service industries, defense contractors and healthcare.

Mr. Siegel regularly speaks on a variety of topics including wage and hour, harassment/discrimination, national and California employment trends, Workers’ Compensation, EEO, managing leaves of absence under FMLA and state leave laws and union avoidance. He has moderated numerous programs and is featured as a keynote speaker for several different organizations.

Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 113 which enacts changes to the collective bargaining process for agricultural workers.

In September 2022 Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2183  which established new ways for farmworkers to vote in a union election under the Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA), including options for mail-in ballots, and authorization cards submitted

Over the summer, several cities considered and even passed a $25.00 minimum wage for healthcare workers.

The Cities of Inglewood and Duarte sent the ordinances for consideration to voters. Only the City of Inglewood measure was successful.

The new $25.00 minimum wage applies to private-sector healthcare workers who work in hospitals, integrated health systems

As the dust settles after another active California legislative session, employers still have more legislation to be on the lookout for by way of ballot measures. In the midterm elections this year, several cities in California will be voting on regulations that will impact employers.

Over the summer, several California cities considered, and some passed

At the start of June 2022, the City of Los Angeles approved an ordinance to raise the minimum wage for certain healthcare workers at privately-owned healthcare facilities within the city.

Since June, more cities have passed nearly identical ordinances.

All ordinances apply only to privately owned healthcare facilities including:

  • General acute care hospitals;
  • Acute psychiatric

Over the summer as California saw a rise in COVID-19 cases, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued orders mandating vaccinations of health care workers and workers in adult care facilities and direct care workers.

With cases again on the rise, the state has issued two, updated mandates that cover: (1) health care

In June, with much fanfare, California announced it was reopening and lifting many of the COVID-19 restrictions that had been in place through state executive and health department orders. However, as there have been surges of COVID-19 across the state, many state and local orders requiring COVID-19 controls have changed in response. Mask mandates and

California employers should review their employment background check procedures in light of recent developments. The California Court of Appeal recently ruled in All of Us or None of Us v. Hamrick that an individual’s date of birth and driver’s license number cannot be used as data identifying a criminal defendant in public records.  The ruling

The COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave statute was signed into law a month ago and, despite a FAQ issued by the California Labor Commissioner, employers were faced with uncertainty as to whether their employee’s leave request qualified under the statute.  Fortunately, the Labor Commissioner has updated its FAQs to provide further clarity to employers.

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