California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a plan to allow the limited reopening of some businesses beyond those in the category of essential critical infrastructure. This limited reopening is part of the “Resilience Roadmap” for California, the multi-phase plan to modify the statewide stay-at-home Order, originally issued on March 19, 2020, in response

Susan E. Groff
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.
Expanded Wage Replacement Entitlements for California Employees Caring for Children During COVID-19 School Closures
Before the COVID-19 crisis, there were limited paid leave entitlements in California for employees requiring time off to deal with childcare and school closures. California Labor Code 230.8 required that employers of 25 or more employees working at the same location were required to provide employees with up to 40 hours of unpaid leave within…
City of Los Angeles Supplemental COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Will Proceed, but As Superseded by the Mayor’s Public Order
On March 27, 2020, the City of Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance requiring that employers with 500 or more employees nationally offer 80 hours of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave to employees who perform work within the geographic boundaries of the City of Los Angeles for various COVID-19 related reasons. Please see our March…
The Los Angeles City Council Passes Supplemental COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave for Large Employers
On March 27, 2020, the City Council passed an ordinance mandating employers with 500 or more employees nationally offer Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for various COVID-19 related reasons described below. The ordinance is awaiting Mayor Eric Garcetti’s review and anticipated approval.
Under the ordinance, covered employers must offer 80 hours of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave…
State of California– Immediately Ordered to Shelter in Place
Effective March 19, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-33-20 (“Order”), directing all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence, except as to maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructures. This Order shall stay in effect until further notice.
The directive is…
Governor Already Planning Big Changes to California Leave Laws
As California employers continue to grapple with recent legislation effective January 1, California Governor Gavin Newsom is releasing his plans for even more employment legislation. Along with the Governor’s proposed budget, the Governor has announced various “trailer bills.” Trailer bills are measures that accompany the annual state budget that theoretically are necessary to implement the…
2020 Brings Changes to California Employment Laws
As 2019 comes to a close, here is a look ahead to some of the legislation going into effect on January 1, 2020, that affects employers in California.
Independent Contractors
Assembly Bill 5 codifies and clarifies the California Supreme Court’s 2018 Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 4 Cal.
The California Supreme Court to Decide Dynamex Retroactivity
The California Supreme Court announced that it would decide whether its April 30, 2018 landmark Dynamex decision is retroactive. The Supreme Court’s determination will have a significant impact on companies utilizing independent contractors in California.
In Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, the California Supreme Court adopted the “ABC Test”…
New California Law Allows Opposite-Sex Couples Under the Age of 62 to Be Eligible to Form Domestic Partnerships
On July 30, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 30 into law, changing existing law to permit opposite-sex couples under the age of 62 years old to register as domestic partners. Those who enter into domestic partnerships have the same rights, protections, and benefits as spouses under California law, including the right, if otherwise…
New California Law Mandates Enhanced Lactation Accommodations and Significant New Penalties for Employer Non-Compliance
A new California law, Senate Bill 142 (“SB 142”), effective January 1, 2020, expands on existing Labor Code requirements for employee lactation accommodations and provides significant new consequences to employers for non-compliance. Under pre-existing law (Cal. Labor Code 1030 et seq.), employers were required to make reasonable efforts to provide a private location, other than…