Insight & Commentary on California Workplace Law Issues & Developments
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that California’s statewide minimum wage will increase from $16.90 to $17.40 per hour effective January 1, 2027. The new rate, announced on July 31, 2026, reflects the annual inflation-based adjustment required under California law.
The increase will also affect the minimum salary threshold for employees classified as exempt under…
Many cities across California have adopted higher minimum wage and benefit requirements for hotel employers. The City of Los Angeles raised its wages for hotel and airport workers last year in advance of the Olympics. Many of these local ordinances increase in July.
As such, hotel employers should verify they are ready for the requirements…
The complexities of California employment law begin not when an employer extends an offer, but as soon as they decide to post a job opening. Employers should ensure compliance with California’s job posting and hiring requirements in 2026.
Pay Scale
California law requires employers with 15 or more employees to include a pay scale in…
Following in the footsteps of the City of Long Beach, the cities of Montebello and Oakland have passed premium pay ordinances mandating additional pay for certain grocery and drug store employees. Premium pay or “hazard pay” for grocery employees seems to be the new trend in COVID-19 regulations. This trend continues despite recent lawsuits…
The start of the year brings a lot of new laws and in the past few years the increase of the State of California’s minimum wage. This year the state minimum wage has increased to $12.00 for employers with 25 employees or less, and $13.00 for employers with 26 employees or more. These rates are…
The City of Los Angeles has enacted two Ordinances requiring fair employment practices in response to job and economic insecurity due to COVID-19 related shelter in place orders. The Ordinances, which go into effect on June 14, 2020, apply to four categories of businesses and employers which the City found have been especially impacted by…
Last week, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors enacted an urgency ordinance to require employers with 500 or more employees nationally to provide supplemental paid sick leave to covered employees for COVID-19 related reasons. The County’s ordinance applies only to businesses in unincorporated areas of the County and to employees who perform any work within…
Late April 17th, Mayor Breed signed the supplemental paid sick leave ordinance that earlier in the week, the Board of Supervisors had amended and passed. This was the same day that Mayor Breed announced an order requiring all individuals in public to wear face coverings.
The ordinance, like those passed by the…
San Francisco remains at the forefront of COVID-19 related relief to those employees who work within the City and County limits. Recently, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has continued this effort and passed the Public Health Emergency Leave Ordinance (PHELO). PHELO is an emergency ordinance set to temporarily require private employers with 500…
Two California cities, San Francisco and San Jose adopted emergency ordinances to expand paid sick leave and emergency Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave benefits. The ordinances cover gaps under federal law by expanding leave benefits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to employers with more than 500 employees.
The ordinances cover most…
