Under the Meyers‑Milias‑Brown Act (MMBA), a California public agency’s decision to contract out bargaining unit work is usually within scope of representation. PERB has found a majority of such decisions negotiable – especially where the outsourcing is driven by labor-cost or staffing considerations and does not change the agency’s core mission or services. If outsourcing

With the enactment of SB 1137, California has explicitly recognized “intersectionality” under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and related statutes: or the idea that in certain instances, discrimination is not based solely on one trait, but rather based on the combination of two or more protected characteristics. Intersectionality is an analytical framework

Artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated decision systems (ADS) are becoming more common in public sector hiring. Resume screeners, video interview platforms, and other algorithmic tools promise efficiency—but they also bring legal risk.

Starting October 1, 2025, new regulations under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) will go into effect. These rules clarify

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”), approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025, created a new, federal overtime tax deduction that employees can claim on their federal tax returns. The tax deduction applies retroactively to the beginning of 2025 and will terminate on December 31, 2028, unless

California’s public labor relations statutes require public employers to respond to a labor union’s requests for information (RFI’s) in a timely manner. In fact, the definition of “meet and confer in good faith” includes the obligation to freely exchange information.

With statutory compliance hanging in the balance, it’s important for employers to know how to

This blog article was authored by Partner Danny Yoo in 2021.  It has been reviewed with additional discussion included in August 2025 and is up-to-date. 

When working with employees with disabilities, employers need to keep track of various laws that govern whether the employee may be entitled to leaves, accommodation, or even a disability retirement. 

During a Starbucks “listening session,” in 2022, in response to an employee’s attempt to discuss the benefits of unionization and Starbucks’ alleged unfair labor practices at other stores, former CEO Howard Schultz proclaimed, “If you’re not happy at Starbucks, you can go work for another company.” The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) held that the

Public agencies often find themselves caught between two important obligations: protecting confidential information and fulfilling legal requirements for transparency. Questions commonly arise about when—and how much—sensitive information can be redacted without running afoul of the law. This blog post addresses some of the most common redaction scenarios involving California Public Records Act (“CPRA”) requests, union