Rulings on arbitration agreements continue to come thick and fast. Arbitration is a dispute resolution procedure where legal disputes are resolved by private arbitrators – typically retired judges – rather than in the public court system. Employers generally consider arbitration to be a more favorable forum for deciding disputes than litigating in court, though the costs to arbitrate are expensive.Read more
Tag Archives: california employers
Increases in Local Minimum Wages and IRS Mileage Rate Coming July 1, 2022
Local Minimum Wages
Employers checking to make sure they pay minimum wage can’t just rely on complying with California minimum wage standards. As we reminded you on December 8, 2021, many local jurisdictions have enacted their own minimum wage rules.Read more
California is Raising the State’s Minimum Wage January 1, 2023
At present, state minimum wage in California is $15 per hour for companies with 26 or more employees and $14 per hour for companies with 25 or fewer employees.
On May 12, 2022, Governor Newsom announced that because inflation is projected to increase by 7.6% for the 2022 fiscal year, California’s minimum wage will increase to $15.50 per hour for all employees, regardless of employer size effective January 1, 2023.
With the minimum wage increasing to $15.50 in 2023, employers should be aware that it will affect the following employees:Read more
CDPH and LA County Relax Indoor Mask Mandate for Fully Vaccinated Persons
The CDPH and Los Angeles County have updated their rules to allow fully vaccinated persons to enter indoor businesses without wearing masks under certain circumstances.Read more
Statewide Mask Mandate for All Indoor Public Settings
On December 13, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued updated guidance requiring Californians to once again to wear masks indoors in “all indoor public settings,” regardless of vaccination status. The mandate will go into effect December 15, 2021, and will run through January 15, 2022. Los Angeles County and several Bay Area counties already require masks in public settings, so this new mandate will mainly affect about 50% of the state population that lives in counties that currently don’t have their own mask mandate.Read more
2022 Employment Law Updates
The California Legislature passed a number of laws that will impact California employers and their business operations in 2022. Below is a list of 17 of the key employment-related bills that have been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.Read more
OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard for Employers with 100+ Employees
On November 4, 2021, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) covering private sector employers with 100+ employees that requires such employers to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. The ETS’s effective date is November 5, 2021. The ETS is already subject to extensive litigation. On November 6, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a temporary stay of the ETS. While the future of the ETS remains uncertain due to pending legal challenges, it may take weeks of planning for employers to comply with the ETS’s deadlines, so prudent employers should continue preparing for the ETS as if it is going to take effect while litigation continues.Read more