Labor & Employment Law Blog

On April 26, 2016, the Santa Monica City Council approved amendments to its Sick Leave Ordinance (“Ordinance”) delaying its implementation until January 1, 2017.  This change will give employers extra time to comply with the Ordinance.  However, the Santa Monica minimum wage remains effective July 1, 2016, to increase to $10.50.

Rather than rushing to implement the new law this summer, the amended ...

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 ...

On April 11, 2016, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 908, which will increase workers’ access to State Disability Insurance (“SDI”) and Paid Family Leave (“PFL”) starting in 2018.

PFL provides wage replacement benefits for up to six weeks to care for a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner.  The State administers PFL through the SDI program.  PFL only provides ...

On Monday April 4, 2016, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 3, raising California’s minimum wage to $15.00 per hour by 2022 (“SB 3”).  California’s current minimum wage of $10.00 tied Massachusetts for the highest minimum wage for any state, and behind only Washington D.C.’s $10.50 minimum wage.

Increases to the minimum wage will begin January 1, 2017, at which time the minimum wage ...

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 4-4 ruling on March 29, 2016 in the Friedrich’s case leaves unions’ agency fees intact for now.  It remains possible that the Court could revisit the same questions at some point in the future.  The Friedrich’s case involves the public sector workplace, where government workplaces, public budgets, and Constitutional limitations can create unique labor relations issues ...

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 January 28, 2016, the Equal Employment Opportunity Council (“EEOC”) and the White House unveiled plans to require employers with 100 or more employees to report employee pay data in September 2017 EEO-1 Reports in an effort to uncover potential pay discrimination.

The EEOC enforces the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, among other laws.  The Equal Pay Act prohibits ...

On January 26, 2016, the Santa Monica City Council joined other California cities in enacting an ordinance that implements minimum wage and paid sick leave requirements that go beyond State requirements.

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 ...