Alerts

by Shannon Walpole California has been a hotbed for overtime exemption misclassification litigation for years. Not much will change for California employers with the passage of the new overtime rules by the Department of Labor. That said there are three critical things about the new federal rules that all California employers should know: 1.  The new rules are effective December

by Michelle Ferber and Brooke Barnum This past Monday, May 9, 2016, the California State Assembly passed a Bill in a 55-19 vote that would require single-user restrooms to be designated as “gender neutral.” The Bill, AB 1732, is drafted to apply to all business establishments, public and government buildings. A single use restroom is defined by the Bill as

by Michelle Ferber and Ben McDonald Arguably the most protective and demanding equal pay law in the country, the California Fair Pay Act of 2015 (“the New Act”) took effect on January 1, 2016 and offers California employees unprecedented protections against sex-based wage differentials.  While California has had equal pay laws on the books for more than sixty years, women

by Michelle Ferber and Ben McDonald The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued guidance to American employers with regard to bathroom access for transgender employees.  Since 2012, the EEOC has held that discrimination based on transgender status is sex discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Title VII prohibits discrimination regardless

by Shannon Walpole On Tuesday, April 19, 2016, the Los Angeles (LA) City Council voted 13-1 to introduce legislation that if passed will double the amount of paid sick leave employers will be required to provide for employees working in LA. Under the California Healthy Families Act of 2014 that went into effect July of 2015, with very few exceptions,

by Michelle Ferber and Ben McDonald Earlier this month, the California Supreme Court issued guidance regarding a lesser known labor requirement that California employers provide employees with suitable seating under certain circumstances.  Found in nearly all of California’s Wage Orders, this requirement has been given new life by the court’s recent analysis and now demands the attention of nearly all

by Michelle R. Ferber and Ben McDonald Beginning April 1, 2016, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) will require employers with five employees or more to develop and maintain a written discrimination, harassment, and retaliation policy.  While FEHA has always prohibited this conduct in the workplace, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has never before required

by Michelle Ferber and Ben McDonald California employers face some of the most employee-protective laws in the country.  Among the burdens placed on California employers is the requirement of workplace postings.  There are at least 17 notices that employers must place in an area frequented by employees where they may be easily read during the workday.  The required notices consist