Labor & Employment Law Blog

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 ...

On November 14, 2016, the U.S. CIS published its new I-9 form.  Employers may immediately begin using the new form for new hire and reverifications, and must stop using the old form (version “03/08/13” in the lower left corner) by January 21, 2017. Employers must complete Form I-9 to document verification of the identity and employment authorization of each new employee (both citizen and noncitizen) hired ...

On April 27, 2016, the federal Department of Labor (“DOL”) released an updated Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) poster.

In general, the FMLA requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to employees to care for the employee’s serious health condition or a serious health condition of a family member.  The FMLA requires such employers to post a notice regarding ...

The typical workplace bulletin board is densely packed with legally required posters and employee notifications. As laws change, the posters must be updated to reflect the changes. For example, the minimum wage in California increased to $10 an hour on January 1, 2016; the required poster specifying the minimum wage should reflect that most recent increase.

On February 17, 2016, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) issued first-of-its-kind guidance on transgender rights in the workplace.

The California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) is reminding employers in the state that they are required to notify workers about the new law that mandates paid sick leave. [Notice to Employers]

The DIR notice reminds employers that all employers were required to post a notice about the new law in a conspicuous place at the work site by January 1, 2015.

Employers were also required to provide ...

On August 7, 2015, California’s Labor Commissioner issued an Opinion Letter confirming earlier guidance that employees who regularly work 10 hour shifts must be given up to 30 hours of paid sick leave under the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014.

California’s landmark sick leave law requires employers allow their employees to use “24 hours or three days” of sick leave each year.  ...

With eight days remaining before major provisions of California’s sick leave law become effective, the California Legislature continues to tinker with clean up legislation.  On June 22, 2015 the California Assembly amended and passed Assembly Bill 304 (Gonzalez) (“AB-304”), by a vote of 69-0.  AB-304 now goes to the California Senate for consideration.

On January 21, 2015, the California Court of Appeal held that the City of Santa Monica (the “City”) did not fail to reasonably accommodate an employee, Tony Nealy, where Nealy was unable to perform the essential functions of the job and there were no alternate positions for which Nealy was qualified.  Nealy v. City of Santa Monica, (California Ct App 02/13/2015).  The court also found that the City did not have ...

The California Labor Commissioner has posted Spanish and Vietnamese template sick leave posters and updated Labor Code Section 2810.5 notices pursuant to the new sick leave law, the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Family Act of 2014.