Labor & Employment Law Blog

Last year Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2337, requiring employers to provide employees with a notice regarding the availability of domestic violence victim leave. The notice must be provided to new hires and other employees upon request.  The notice requirement took effect July 1, 2017, with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (“DLSE” otherwise known as the Labor Commissioner ...

Late last year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) issued a final rule revising Form I-9 and the list of documents that are acceptable to verify identity and employment authorization.  Beginning September 18, 2017, all employers must use the revised I-9 Form dated “7/17/2017 N” for new hires or rehires.  The new Forms, Instructions, and related documents may be ...

The minimum wage rates in 10 localities in California are set to increase effective July 1, 2017.  The increases are as follows:

• Emeryville: $14.00 per hour (for employers with 55 or fewer employees); $15.20 per hour (for employers with 56 or more employees).
• Milpitas: $11.00 per hour
• San Francisco: $14.00 per hour
• San Jose: $12.00 per hour
• San Leandro: $12.00 per hour
• Los Angeles (City): $12.00 per hour (for ...

Recently, after years of litigation, the California Court of Appeal published its decision approving See’s Candy Shops, Inc.’s (“See’s”) rounding and grace-period policies.  (Silva v. See’s Candy Shops, Inc. (2016) 7 Cal. App. 5th 235).

The court previously approved See’s rounding policy in 2012, in See's Candy Shops, Inc. v. Superior Court (2012) 210 Cal.App.4th 889, but left open the ...

Recently, the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) published two FAQs addressing minimum wage increases under California law to assist employers with the implementation of the new rates going into effect between 2017 and 2023.

As of January 1, 2017, the State minimum wage increased to $10.50 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees.  The State minimum wage remains at $10.00 per ...

On February 8, 2017, the Supreme Court announced it will schedule oral arguments in its review of class action waivers in the 2017 Supreme Court session, which starts in October.  In January, the Court announced it would review three cases involving whether class action waivers that are required as a condition of employment in individual employee arbitration agreements violate federal labor law.

In 2012, the ...

On January 13, the California Court of Appeal issued a decision in favor of an employee of San Diego Miramar College who was released for “job abandonment” while out on medical leave. The court reversed the trial court’s judgment in favor of the College, holding a reasonable fact-finder could conclude the College retaliated against the employee for taking medical leave protected under the California ...

Earlier this year, voters in San Francisco approved amendments to the San Francisco Paid Sick Leave Ordinance in an effort to streamline the Ordinance’s provisions with that of the California sick leave law.  The changes to the San Francisco law take effect January 1, 2017.

Among the revisions to the Ordinance are the following provisions:

• Explicitly recognizes front-loading sick leave, which it labels ...

On December 13, 2016, the Los Angeles City Deputy City Clerk posted the final Fair Chance Ordinance signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti.  The posting clarifies that the Ordinance will take effect January 22, 2017.  For more information on the Ordinance, please click here to see our previous entry.

On December 7, 2016, the Los Angeles City Council approved the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, colloquially known as the “Ban the Box” law.  The Ordinance will prohibit employers with 10 or more employees (including owners and managers) located in or doing business in the City, and City contractors, from asking applicants about their criminal conviction history until the employer makes a ...