Employee Rights

AB 2188 Protects Off-Duty Cannabis Use

A Breath of Fresh Air: AB 2188 Protects Off-Duty Cannabis Use Starting January 2024

In a significant victory for employee rights, California’s Assembly Bill 2188 (AB 2188) has prohibited discrimination against employees based on their off-duty cannabis use. This landmark legislation marks a crucial step forward in safeguarding personal freedom and ensuring fair employment practices. It comes into effect on January 1, 2024. Prior to AB 2188, employers in …

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California’s Food Handler Hard Law has a positive impact on restaurant workers

California’s New Food Handler Card Law: A Victory for Restaurant Workers

In California, the food service industry is a vital component of the state’s economy, employing millions of people and contributing significantly to the tax base. However, for many of these workers, the financial burden of obtaining a food handler card has been a major barrier to employment. Financial Hurdles for Job Applicants California law mandates …

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2024 California Employment Law Changes

New 2024 California Employment Law Changes with Impact on Employment Litigation and Workplace Rights and Obligations

By Ella Zalon It is that time of year again! New 2024 California employment law changes are afoot. Recent legislative developments in California may prove to be favorable for many California employees. Governor Newsom recently signed a slew of bills that will be applicable to nearly all California employees, while some are industry-specific. Listed below …

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An Employee Until Proven Otherwise: Determining Your Independent Contractor Status Under California Law

By Eileen Torrez  Being misclassified as an independent contractor when you should be classified as an employee can have significant implications for workers. It can impact your job security, how much you pay in taxes, and whether you are protected by the law if something goes wrong.  Learning more about the laws governing worker classification, …

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Supreme Court Battle Over Affirmative Action Could Impact Employment Diversity Initiatives

Affirmative Action Up for Debate at the Supreme Court As we wrote about in our previous blog post on affirmative action, two ongoing Supreme Court cases on affirmative action in college admissions are predicted to have wider impacts that go beyond the realm of education, affecting how employers are able to seek out and hire …

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Title VII and the Equal Protection Clause

Affirmative Action Part 1 of 2 | Title VII and the Equal Protection Clause

By Eileen Torrez, November 30th, 2022 Three important federal laws form the basis for protecting U.S. employees from discrimination in the workplace: the Equal Pay Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We’ve written about the EPA here and the ADA here. This article focuses on …

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Whistleblower

You Could be a Whistleblower Even If You Don’t Know It

“I am a Human Resource generalist at a mid-sized private company. I told my department manager that we should not discourage employees from talking about pay, because that could be illegal. I learned this at a training hosted by our outside employment law firm about how HR should be handling compensation questions. My manager replied …

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new California laws

Alert: New California Employment Protections Signed Into Law

By Alex Li and Xinying Valerian The close of California’s legislative season means changes in the employment landscape.  California continues to take the lead in enacting protections for workers. The following laws are set to take effect on January 1, 2023 unless otherwise specified. The Pay Transparency Act – SB 1162  This bill requires employers with …

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