Artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools are increasingly being marketed as a way to streamline workplace investigations: summarizing evidence, generating interview outlines, comparing witness statements, or even “detecting inconsistencies” in testimony. While these tools may appear to help investigators move faster, public employers should approach AI-assisted investigations with caution. California public agencies have unique obligations to ensure
Since our original post detailing the tracking and reporting requirements imposed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) for federal tax deduction of qualified overtime compensation (i.e., Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime), the IRS has announced significant guidance for 2025 reporting.
For Tax Year 2025, Employers Are Not Required to Separately Report Qualified
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
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”) is a federal law that went into effect on June 27, 2023. The final regulations issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to carry out the law went into effect on June 18, 2024. PWFA requires public sector and private employers that have 15 or more employees to
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
Senate Bill 627, also known as the No Secret Police Act (“Act”) was signed by Governor Newsom on September 20, 2025. The Act takes effect on January 1, 2026; an urgency clause in a prior version of the legislation that would have made it effective immediately was not included in the final version.
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
On March 3, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-22-25 mandating that all state agencies and departments under his authority implement a hybrid telework policy with a minimum of four in-person workdays per week by July 1, 2025. The order also urges agencies and departments not under the Governor’s authority to adopt the same