By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. and Michael J. Bruskin, Esq. On May 27, 2025, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a set of amendments to local wage and employment ordinances impacting Hotel Workers in preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games being hosted in Los Angeles....
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. On April 21, 2025, in La Kimba Bradsbery et al. v. Vicar Operating, Inc., the California Court of Appeal held that prospective, written meal period waivers are valid, as long as they are revocable and not coerced. In the underlying...
For decades, California law has permitted employers to round employee time entries as long as the rounding policy is neutral on its face and does not disadvantage employees. However, on February 1, 2023, the California Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments on a Court of Appeal decision that could end California employers’ ability to round employee work time altogether.
After three years of frequent changes, CalOSHA adopted the more permanent COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations.
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. While many California employers were anticipating the current COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) would expire on September 30, 2022, unsurprisingly, California has passed AB 152, which will extend SPSL through December 31,...
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq, On June 15, 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana (U.S.S.C. Case No. 20-1573), holding that California employers can enforce arbitration agreements, thereby...
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. On May 23, 2022, the California Supreme Court lived up to its pro-employee reputation, issuing yet another major setback to employers by overturning a previously employer-friendly ruling in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc. The...
By: Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. California was the first state to adopt the CROWN Act, in 2019. Since then, numerous other states have followed suit. Now, the federal government is (hopefully) on its way to enacting the federal version of the Creating a Respectful...
On March 3, 2022, President Biden signed the “Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021” into law. What does it mean?
By: Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. As previously reported here, California’s Legislature recently proposed a new COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) for 2022. On February 9, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the new SPSL bill into law. The law goes into...
By: Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. With a decline of COVID-19 cases in mid-2021, California’s Covid-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) ended on September 30, 2021. However, at the end of 2021, Omicron raged through California (and the rest of the world) causing a...
The Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) halted enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”)
by Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. In what could be a seminal ruling for California employers in the fight over out-of-control wage and hour litigation, the Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) has recently granted certiorari in Viking River Cruise, Inc., v....
By: Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. Cal/OSHA first adopted its Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”) over a year ago to address concerns about COVID-19 in the workplace. The latest Cal/OSHA revised ETS will go into effect January 14, 2022. The new ETS, which you can find...
This is the second article of a two-part series. With social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn becoming an increasingly cost-effective form of advertising, it is common for businesses to hire in-house social media managers. Here are two areas to...
Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new emergency temporary standard which would soon require all covered employers with 100 or more employees to either require its workforce to receive mandatory vaccinations against COVID-19...
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. Employers and employees have long disputed the validity and lawfulness of employment-related arbitration agreements in California. On September 15, 2021 in Chamber of Commerce v. Bonta (No. 20-15291, 2021 WL 4187860 (9th Cir. Sept. 15,...
The ETS is expected to mandate that private businesses with 100 or more employees require their workforces to become fully vaccinated or test negative for COVID
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. On August 5, 2021, California’s Department of Public Health issued a Statewide Order (the “Order”) mandating that Workers in covered Health Care Facilities[1] receive their first dose of a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine or their second dose...
California Supreme Court rules meal and rest break premiums must be paid at the regular rate of compensation, including nondiscretionary pay, retroactively.
Employers are no longer obligated to provide FFCRA paid leave to employees, despite the common belief that these entitlements would be extended into 2021.
On September 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed new legislation that will expand the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), significantly impacting both small and large California employers across the board.
These FAQs explain eligibility for qualifying for paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) relative to the varied formats and schedules schools have announced as they reopen
On July 1, 2020 California localities increased their minimum wage requirements
Executive order creates a rebuttable presumption that employees who contract COVID-19 at work qualify for workers’ compensation benefits
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. With cases of COVID-19 rising in Los Angeles, on April 7, 2020, City of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued two new COVID-19-related Public Orders to provide further protections for Los Angeles workers. The Worker Protection Order...
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. Likely not a surprise to California employers, the California Supreme Court has once again ruled on the side of the employees in Kim v. Reins International California, Inc. On March 12, 2020, the Court held that even after an employee...
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. The emergency nature of recent COVID-19 related legislation has left many employers with questions. This update will focus on new guidance provided by state and federal governmental agencies regarding the use of the federal Families...
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. With the State of California largely on shut-down due to the COVID-19 epidemic, many businesses are facing the harsh reality that significant changes to their business and workforce are necessary. Unfortunately, as employers consider...
Overview of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act explaining emergency paid sick leave and expanded FMLA obligations for employers during COVID-19.
A federal court temporarily blocks enforcement of California’s AB 51, allowing employers to continue mandatory arbitration agreements—for now.
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. On July 3, 2019, California became the first state to ban discrimination against natural hair, including afros, braids, twists, and dreadlocks. Introduced by Sen. Holly J. Mitchell, Senate Bill 188 (SB 188) aims to “Create a Respectful...
Along with the rise in temperatures, so goes the minimum wage for many California employees. Although the state minimum wage remains $11.00 per hour for small employers (25 or fewer employees) and $12.00 per hour for large employers (26 or more employees), as of July...
By Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. On Apr. 24, 2019, in a split 5-4 decision in Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Varela , No. 17-988, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) held that courts may not compel class action arbitration unless the parties expressly state their clear intent to...
On March 7, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a new proposed rule that would increase the white-collar salary threshold for exempt executive, administrative and professional employees from the current $23,660 to $35,308 per year. The DOL reports this...
On February 4, 2019, in Ward v. Tilly’s, Inc., the California Court of Appeal held employees were due reporting time pay for calling in to work before the start of their shifts to see if they were needed to come in even if they never physically reported to work. Each...
As we ring in the new year, California employers should prepare for a number of new laws.
By: Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. BREAKING NEWS! In a monumental victory for employers in one of the most significant employment rulings in recent history, the Supreme Court of the United States held on Monday, May 21, 2018 in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis that class...
On April 9, 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that employers may no longer consider an employee’s prior salary, either alone or combined with other factors, to justify gender-based pay disparities. However, the Court noted that this new...
by Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. By September 18, 2017, employers must use a new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, which was revised on July 17, 2017 (Form 7/17/2017 N). Until then, employers can continue using the recently revised Form 11/14/16...
By: Jaimee K. Wellerstein, Esq. July Means Numerous Increases To Local Minimum Wage Ordinances! The California state minimum wage will remain intact at $10.50 an hour for employers with 26 or more employees until 2018. However, there are many local minimum wage...
