Employment News

Note: This article has been updated to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court’s Jan. 13, 2022 rulings in two vaccine mandate cases.  As efforts to increase the number of Americans who are vaccinated against COVID-19 ramp up, employees can expect to see more workplace vaccine mandates.  Over the summer, the California Department of Public Health issued orders requiring certain covered health care facilities and school districts to verify their employees’ vaccination status and implement mandatory … [Read more...]

Harassment victims no longer can be muzzled by employers under new law New law frees harassment victims from employment secrecy clauses  Under California's Silenced No More Act, employers in California no longer can force victims of harassment or discrimination to keep quiet about those experiences. As of Jan. 1, the “Silenced No More Act” expands state law to cover all settlement agreements regarding harassment or discrimination, closing a loophole in prior law. The new law (SB 331) … [Read more...]

Under the Silenced No More Act, employers in California no longer can force victims of harassment or discrimination to keep quiet about those experiences. As of Jan. 1, the “Silenced No More Act” expands state law to cover all settlement agreements regarding harassment or discrimination, closing a loophole in prior law. The new law (SB 331) bans confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses about such violations from being folded into severance agreements, building on a 2018 law (SB 1300) … [Read more...]

As California — and the rest of the nation, for that matter — tries to figure out what to do with gig workers, a protracted legal battle has come out in favor of the little guy. At least for the moment.  The case pits a former Grubhub driver, Raef Lawson, against the company, pursuing minimum wage, overtime and expense reimbursement claims. But the law, including California’s ABC test for employee status, is far from straightforward.  A tangled web The state has been going back and forth … [Read more...]

Starting Jan. 1, the AB 701 California warehouse law gives employees who work in warehouse distribution centers important new protections.  Targeting behemoths such as Amazon, state lawmakers passed AB 701 in the fall. The law aims to protect workers from extreme productivity quotas that lead to injuries or skipped breaks. With Amazon and its massive package-delivery workforce pressuring other retailers to follow along, California wants to clarify unacceptable practices now.  “We cannot … [Read more...]