- High-Frequency and Vexatious Filers: § 17415(a)(2) addresses “documented instances of some attorneys filing PAGA notices that are based on
“Somebody’s Watching Me” – What You Need to Know About California’s Proposed AI Employee Surveillance Laws
California continues to police artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the workplace. Following proposed rulemaking on the use of AI for significant employment decisions, as we reported here, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan introduced Assembly Bill 1221 (“AB 1221”) this legislative session. The bill aims to regulate workplace surveillance tools, including AI, and use of employee data derived therefrom. Applicable to employers of all sizes, AB 1221 could
“Texit” Shows No Sign of Stopping – Chevron Says “Howdy, Houston!… Hasta La Vista, California!”
Chevron announced on Friday its plans to relocate its headquarters from Northern California to Houston, Texas. Chevron first began doing business in California nearly 150 years ago in 1879 with the incorporation of the Pacific Coast Oil Company, headquartered in San Francisco.
In a public statement, Chevron said the move is due to a desire to “to co-locate with other senior leaders and enable
Duck and Cover! Two New “Nuclear Verdicts” Put California Employers On Alert
The Los Angeles Superior Court has bestowed some remarkable gifts upon plaintiffs this holiday season. Two juries have issued gigantic verdicts in favor of individual plaintiffs in separate employment lawsuits within the past month.
On November 16, 2023, in Sosa v. Comerica Bank, a jury delivered a verdict of $14.17 million consisting of $1.17 million in lost earnings (past and future) and $13 million in emotional
California Expands FEHA Liability to Include “Institutional Agents” of Employers
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) is already one of the most employee-friendly state civil rights laws in the country. Until now, it was not clear whether employees could sue not only their direct employers for discrimination and harassment, but also other independent businesses that work on behalf on their employers.
In Raines v. U.S. Healthworks Medical Group, the California Supreme Court ruled
West Hollywood Wins The Gold Medal For Highest Minimum Wage In The Nation — $19.08!
The so-called “Fight for 15” – those widespread protests for a $15 minimum wage – are so passé now!
As of July 1, 2023, West Hollywood takes the crown for the highest mandated minimum wage in the United States at $19.08. Why they didn’t just top it off at $20 is anyone’s guess. (Not to be completely outmatched, several other localities raised their minimum wage
Layoffs Accelerate As Employers Struggle with Record Inflation
As the economy continues to struggle amidst the ravages of 40-year-high inflation, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their current staffing levels.
While the tech industry has been the epicenter for layoffs thus far, a growing number of industries are being affected as well, including banking, financial, and legal services, and media outlets.
The trend for mass job cuts appears to be accelerating.
In This Tight Labor Market, Interest in Funeral Services Work is Growing
As in other sectors of the economy, there is a labor shortage in the funeral industry. However, unlike other fields in which the demand for workers is outpacing supply, the interest in joining the ranks of the funeral services business is booming. The American Board of Funeral Service Education (“ABFSE”), the national academic accreditation agency for college and university programs in Funeral Service and
Hollywood Updates Its COVID-19 Protocols As Los Angeles Covid Rates Surge
Amid a recent surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates in Los Angeles, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (“AMPTP”) announced an extension of and modifications to the existing Return-to-Work Agreement between the Directors Guild of America, the AMPTP, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, and other industry stakeholders. The prior iteration of the Agreement had been set to expire on July 15, 2022.
Initially implemented in
Several State “Job Killer” Bills Move One Step Closer to Passage
As covered previously here, the California Chamber of Commerce (“Chamber”) once again has identified a handful of “job killer” bills making their way through the legislative process. This year’s crop of proposed legislation would, among other things, inflate employer data reporting requirements and further expand the scope of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”). Several of these recently introduced bills already have passed