Laws & Regulations

California employers are cleared to use mandatory arbitration agreements — for now

Update: Employers in California may continue to use mandatory arbitration agreements as a condition of employment following a decision issued Feb. 15, 2023, by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals 

February 25, 2020 |Employment Practices, Laws & Regulations, News Articles

Classifying workers as independent contractors under law

Employers in California can now visit a single website to help them understand their requirements under a new law that further restricts their ability to classify their workers as independent contractors. Launched late last year by the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency, the website provides employer-specific resources and FAQ summarizing AB 5 and the ABC test and more.

February 4, 2020 |Early Career Dentists, Employment Practices, Hiring, Firing & Performance, Laws & Regulations, News Articles

HR audits help practices comply with laws, but can also offer peace of mind

Start your new year on the right foot by auditing your human resources systems and records. To diminish the possibility of legal issues and to ensure that your practice seeks to comply with labor and employment laws, it is important to perform an HR audit. An audit can include timekeeping and wage statements and all of the following.

January 9, 2020 |Employment Practices, Laws & Regulations, News Articles, Office Policies & Manuals

Lactation accommodation requirements in effect as of January 2020

Protections for nursing mothers in California were significantly expanded under a bill signed into law in October by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Senate Bill 142 clarifies employer obligations to provide breaks and safe, private locations that include specified accommodations. The bill increases penalties for noncompliance and requires that employers implement a written lactation accommodation policy beginning Jan. 1, 2020.

December 11, 2019 |Employment Practices, Laws & Regulations, News Articles

Know your employee pay requirements during a utility power failure

With planned power shut-offs developing across California in attempt to avoid wildfires, employers are wondering how they are to compensate their nonexempt employees when businesses are unable to be open for work due to power failures. Employers generally are obligated to pay “reporting time pay” to hourly employees when these employees are required to report for work and aren’t provided at least half of their usual hours for the day.

October 30, 2019 |Employment Practices, Laws & Regulations, News Articles

‘ABC test’ is now the law, but it’s not a free ticket for independent contractors

Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, it will be more difficult for most employers in California to classify workers as independent contractors, rather than employees, and in some cases will make employees out of independent contractors. And although CDA secured an exemption for dentists, employee classification still isn’t clear-cut, and dentists will need to err on the side of caution when classifying their workers.

October 15, 2019 |Early Career Dentists, Employment Practices, Hiring, Firing & Performance, Laws & Regulations, News Articles

Sexual harassment prevention training required biennially for California employers with at least five employees

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a new bill extending the deadline for sexual harassment prevention training. Under SB 778, employers with five or more employees now have until Jan. 1, 2021, to complete the mandatory one- or two-hour employee trainings to be compliant.

September 12, 2019 |Employment Practices, Laws & Regulations, News Articles

California law prohibits discrimination based on natural hairstyle

A new state law prohibits discrimination on the basis of hair textures or protective hairstyles that are historically associated with race. Senate Bill 188, also known as the CROWN Act, was signed in July by Gov. Gavin Newsom and will take effect Jan. 1, 2020. California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act was amended by the law to include in the definition of race “traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles.”

August 27, 2019 |Employment Practices, Laws & Regulations, News Articles, Office Policies & Manuals
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