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Susan E. Groff is a principal in the Los Angeles office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She is co-leader of the firm’s California Advice and Counsel resource group. The group delivers legal and practical guidance to assist employers in navigating what are frequently multi-disciplinary issues.

Susan counsels management on a host of labor and employment issues, including wage and hour laws, disability and leave management, harassment and discrimination complaints, workplace investigations, reductions in force, litigation avoidance, and discipline and termination questions.

Due to California’s nuanced and numerous disability and leave requirements, Susan dedicates much of her practice to advising employers on federal and California requirements for disability accommodation and protected leaves of absence. Importantly, she partners with employers not only on these technical disability and leave laws, but also on practical solutions in handling the same.

Susan also provides guidance to employers on California’s challenging wage and hour laws. In addition to day to day advice, she assists with employer audits, compensation plan reviews, and policies in this area.

As children head back to school, California employees may need time away from work for school activities, childcare emergencies, disciplinary meetings, or to care for a sick child. Employers should keep the following California leave protections in mind for the 2026–2027 school year.

School and Childcare Activity Leave

California Labor Code Section 230.8 applies to…

California’s Assembly Bill (AB) 692 took effect on January 1, 2026, impacting repayment and “stay-or-pay” agreements.  For a summary of the limitations and requirements stemming from this law, please see our earlier blog post.  California employers should already be evaluating offer letters, bonus agreements, training repayment provisions, tuition arrangements, and other documents that impose…

California Governor Newsom recently signed Senate Bill (SB) 648, which authorizes the state’s Labor Commissioner to investigate and issue a citation or file a civil action for gratuities taken or withheld in violation of the Labor Code. This enforcement authorization will take effect January 1, 2026.

The Labor Code defines wage theft as employers…

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…

Recently, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion to amend the Living Wage Ordinance (LWO) and the Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance (HWMO), which will impact airport and hospitality workers, respectively. On December 11, 2024, the City Council approved a draft ordinance and directed the City Attorney to prepare a formal draft ordinance…

On September 22, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 3234 into law which imposes more transparency requirements for employers that audit their child labor practices.  The bill will take effect on January 1, 2025.

Under AB 3234, any employer that has voluntarily subjected its business to a “social compliance audit” to determine…

As kids head back to school, California employees with children may need time off for various reasons from school-related activities to kids who are sick. Here are reminders of the California leave entitlements for parents and caregivers.

School Activity Leave

Under California Labor Code Section 230.8, employers with 25 or more employees working at the…

California’s pro-employee employment regulations are often compared to those of the European Union. Recently, the California legislature borrowed another European idea for a proposed bill, “the right to disconnect from work.”

Assembly Bill (AB) 2751 would mandate that employers establish policies that allow employees to disconnect from employment communications during non-working hours.

Under the proposed…