Category: Labor & Employment

Labor & Employment

California Eliminates Employers’ Ability to Require Employees to Take Vacation Before Receiving Paid Family Leave Benefits

Written by Jeremy Mittman and Diana M. Martinez On September 29, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 2123 to change California’s state sponsored paid family leave (PFL) program.  As part of the PFL program, eligible employees receive wage replacement benefits while taking time off for several reasons such as taking care of a seriously ill family member or bonding with a minor child … Continue reading California Eliminates Employers’ Ability to Require Employees to Take Vacation Before Receiving Paid Family Leave Benefits

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Labor & Employment

New Considerations for Employers Committed to DEI Initiatives

Written by Louise Truong and Ricky Tai The current state of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives is at a critical juncture. Recent court decisions and policy changes have presented significant challenges to ongoing DEI efforts across industries and sectors.  How to implement DEI initiatives moving forward in this new landscape will require a thoughtful approach.  In recent years, there has been an uptick in … Continue reading New Considerations for Employers Committed to DEI Initiatives

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Labor & Employment

SCOTUS’s Curbing of Federal Agency Actions – A Tool to Place Guardrails on the NLRB’s Recent Policies to Expand its Reach under the NLRA

Written by Jonathan Turner and Eric Engelman On June 27 and 28, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States issued two separate opinions that have placed judicial restraints on the scope of powers exercised by federal agencies to interpret and enforce statutes they are charged to administer.  In its opinion in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Court ended four decades of deference to … Continue reading SCOTUS’s Curbing of Federal Agency Actions – A Tool to Place Guardrails on the NLRB’s Recent Policies to Expand its Reach under the NLRA

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Labor & Employment

FTC’s Non-Compete Ban Faces Challenge in Texas Lawsuit As Enforcement is Put On Hold

Written by Jeremy Mittman Earlier this month, a federal judge in Texas issued a preliminary order against the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on non-compete agreements. Judge Ada Brown ruled in favor of Ryan LLC, a tax-services firm operating out of Dallas which utilizes non-compete agreements with its employees. Ryan LLC argued that the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) was overstepping its legal authority by attempting to … Continue reading FTC’s Non-Compete Ban Faces Challenge in Texas Lawsuit As Enforcement is Put On Hold

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Labor & Employment

Supreme Court Ruling Limits NLRB’s Ability to Obtain Preliminary Injunctions Against Employers

Written by Jonathan Turner and Eric D. Engelman In a closely watched case, the Supreme Court ruled against the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or Board) and in favor of Starbucks on the question of what the NLRB must prove before it can obtain a preliminary injunction against employers prior to fully litigating allegations contained in an unfair labor practice complaint issued by the NLRB.  … Continue reading Supreme Court Ruling Limits NLRB’s Ability to Obtain Preliminary Injunctions Against Employers

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Labor & Employment

California Court Strikes Down Employer’s Arbitration Agreement, Causing Employers to Review Their Agreements for Compliance

Written by Jeremy Mittman and Aharon Kaslow On May 24, 2024, the California Court of Appeal held that USC’s arbitration agreement with its employee, Pamela Cook, was unenforceable.  USC requested that the court reconsider its decision, and on June 13, 2024, the Court of Appeal denied the request.  The decision in Cook v. USC, 102 Cal.App.5th 312 (2024), reh’g denied (June 13, 2024), has therefore … Continue reading California Court Strikes Down Employer’s Arbitration Agreement, Causing Employers to Review Their Agreements for Compliance

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Labor & Employment

PAGA: The Next Generation, Now In Wide Release for California Employers! 

Written by Jeremy Mittman and Ricky Tai It’s not very often that California enacts a labor law that is actually favorable to employers— but that very occasion happened this week, setting off early celebratory fireworks for California businesses.  On July 1, 2024, Governor Newsom signed into law significant reforms to the Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”), introduced under Assembly Bill 2288 and Senate Bill 92.  … Continue reading PAGA: The Next Generation, Now In Wide Release for California Employers! 

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Labor & Employment

EEOC Releases Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace Addressing Timely Topics

Written by Jeremy Mittman, Thea Rogers and Ricky Tai The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the “EEOC”) has recently released its final workplace harassment enforcement guidance, the “Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace” (the “Guidance”). Employers should review their workplace anti-harassment policies and training in light of the recently issued Guidance, as well as the accompanying trio of companion documents (a key provisions summary, … Continue reading EEOC Releases Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace Addressing Timely Topics

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artificial intelligence, Labor & Employment

U.S. Department of Labor Issues Helpful Guidance on Employers’ Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace

Written by Jeremy Mittman and Talya Seidman Cytryn Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division issued guidance on the application of federal labor standards to employers’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated systems in the workplace. Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) No. 2024-1 warns employers that using these technologies can run afoul of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and … Continue reading U.S. Department of Labor Issues Helpful Guidance on Employers’ Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace

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Labor & Employment

California Supreme Court Issues A Rare “Employer Friendly” Decision Concerning Employee Wage Statements

Written by Gary M. McLaughlin, Jeremy Mittman, and Sandra Hanian Earlier this month, the California Supreme Court unanimously held in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc. that an employer’s good-faith belief that it provided complete and accurate wage statements bars statutory penalties for a knowing and intentional failure to comply with wage statement requirements under California Labor Code Section 226. Background Gustavo Naranjo worked as a … Continue reading California Supreme Court Issues A Rare “Employer Friendly” Decision Concerning Employee Wage Statements

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