New laws to affect California workers in 2019
In California, hundreds of new laws have created big changes for workers and employers in 2019. Perhaps the most anticipated change is an increase in minimum wage, which will be $15 per hour by 2023. For companies with 26 or more employees, minimum wage will rise to $12 per hour. For those with fewer than […]
California bill requiring sexual harassment training targets talent industry
Employees of more than 125 talent agencies located in California will have to undergo sexual harassment prevention training if pending legislation requiring it passes in the California Assembly. Moreover, child actors and their parents or legal guardians will have to undergo similar instruction before the state’s Labor Commission will issue a work permit allowing the […]
More women allege to be victims of sexual abuse and harassment by USC’s longtime school gynecologist
In May, 21 women filed lawsuits against the University of Southern California alleging egregious sexual abuse and misconduct by USC gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall. And, most likely, more lawsuits are to come. Tragically, at least 410 women have contacted a university hotline regarding Tyndall, established by the school once the news of the lawsuits became […]
California Supreme Court ruling could have monumental impact on workers in gig economy
California’s top court issued a decision on April 30 making it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. The unanimous ruling replaced the previous test for setting employment status, which largely considered the control a company had over a worker, like where and when work was done. In recent years, […]
A look at new California employment laws in 2018
2018 brings new laws to California. Here is a look at some new employment laws that might affect you: SALARY INFORMATION (Assembly Bill No. 168): Under new California law, employers are prohibited from asking job applicants for salary information as a factor used to determine whether or not to hire them. Employers are also prohibited […]
Legislature, Governor grants new protections to unpaid California construction workers
California construction workers who are owed back wages by subcontractors are being afforded important new legal remedies under a bill recently signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown. Assembly Bill 1701 makes California builders responsible for wage violations by their subcontractors. The bill will allow workers who are owed payment for work they have performed […]
California Assembly to vote on bill that would give more workers 12 weeks of parental leave
In September, the California Assembly will vote on a Senate-passed bill that would require smaller companies to provide the same amount of unpaid parental leave as larger companies. If lawmakers and the governor approve the bill, businesses with at least 20 employees will be required to offer continued health coverage and job protection to their […]
California to begin anti-discrimination testing of Airbnb hosts
Regulators at the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing plan to begin testing Airbnb hosts to prevent discrimination. This decision comes after a recent incident in which an Airbnb host in Big Bear, California, was fined for discrimination after cancelling a reservation because the guest was Asian-American. The guest, Dyne Suh, was on her […]
University of California IT workers file age, national origin discrimination lawsuit
After over 50 university employees were replaced by an offshore outsourcing firm, the former IT workers announced that they intend to file a discrimination lawsuit to challenge their termination. The former tech workers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) campus claim they were victims of age and national origin discrimination. In February 2017, […]
Transgender man sues Dignity Health after gender transition surgery denial
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a discrimination lawsuit on behalf of a transgender patient after Dignity Health Hospital in Sacramento denied a hysterectomy in their transition from female to male. The suit alleges that Dignity Health withheld medical care because of Evan Minton’s gender identity, which is sex discrimination under California’s Unruh Civil […]