Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 1149, which adds “designated person” to the definition of family member for the purpose of taking bereavement leave. In 2022, the state amended the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to require covered employers to provide eligible employees with 5 days of bereavement leave. Bereavement leave is generally
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What California Employers Need to Know about Military Leave Protections
By Kurtis R. Urien on
Posted in Disability and Leave
As the situation in the Middle East progresses, and National Guard and Reservists are called to serve, employers will likely have employees who require leave of absence to fulfill their obligations to the military. While under federal law, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) guarantees the rights of military service members to…
California Civil Rights Department Publishes Survivors of Violence’s Right to Leave & Accommodation Notice and FAQ
By Kurtis R. Urien on
Posted in Disability and Leave
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…
Sun’s Out, Funds Up: California’s Local Minimum Wage Increases in July
By Kurtis R. Urien on
Posted in Wage and Hour
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:
| Locality | Current Minimum Wage | New Minimum wage |
| Alameda | $17.00 | $17.46 |
| Berkeley |
New FAQs on California Paid Sick Leave Unveiled
By Kurtis R. Urien on
Posted in Paid Sick Leave
The Labor Commissioner’s office recently published an updated version of its Frequently Asked Questions Page for California Paid Sick Leave.
Here are some of the highlights of the updates:
Agricultural Employees
The FAQs were updated to reflect changes made by Senate Bill (SB) 1105, which expanded the reasons that agricultural employees may use…
Senate Bill 988: Understanding the Freelance Worker Protection Act – What Employers Need to Know
By Kurtis R. Urien on
Posted in Wage and Hour
The California Governor recently signed Senate Bill (SB) 988, which establishes the Freelance Worker Protection Act (Act) which imposes minimum requirements relating to contracts between a hiring party and a freelance worker.
Under the new law, “freelance worker” is defined as a person or organization composed of no more than one person, whether or…