In late March 2024, California Assemblyman Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill, AB 2751, that would recognize a right for employees in California to “disconnect” or ignore communications from their employer during certain non-work hours.  The Bill, in its current form, requires an employer to establish a workplace policy that will allow employees “the right to disconnect” from communications from their employer during non-working hours, except for emergencies and/or scheduling purposes.  The policy must define working vs. non-working hours and make clear that employees have the right to ignore communications from the employer during the policy’s specified non-working hours.  The proposed law also provides employees the right to file a complaint with the California Labor Commissioner if the employer engages in a pattern of violations of this new law. Finally, the proposed new law states that while violations may not be punished as a misdemeanor, the employer could be subject to a fine of not less than $100 as a result of a pattern of violation of the proposed new law.

Continue Reading California Legislature Considers Employee’s “Right to Disconnect”

Having a fair and meaningful disciplinary process can be a helpful tool for employers to improve employee performance. In this episode of California Employment News, employment attorneys Meagan Bainbridge and Nikki Mahmoudi share their best practices for implementing effective disciplinary procedures in the workplace.

Continue Reading California Employment News: Effective Disciplinary Procedures and Policies

From minimum wage laws to confidentiality agreements, there have been several legal updates over the past year that apply to most CA employers. Lukas Clary and Ryan Abernethy break down five top developments in wage and hour law for 2024 in this special 50th edition of California Employment News.

Continue Reading California Employment News: Top Developments in Wage and Hour Law for 2024

If you’re a California employer, I hope the following is not news to you.  Pursuant to SB 553, most employers in California are required to put in place an effective Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (“WVPP”) by July 1, 2024. SB 553 added section 6401.9 to the California Labor Code to address the requirements for a compliant WVPP. 

Continue Reading Preparing Your Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Just Got a Little Easier – CalOSHA Issues a Model Plan & Other Resources