For practicing Muslims, Ramadan began on March 10, 2024, and concludes on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Ramadan is a month in the Islamic calendar devoted to fasting and prayer. Although not all Muslim students participate in fasting during this month, many schools throughout California do serve students who are abstaining from food and drink from
accommodation
Looking back (and forward) at COVID-19 and the Interactive Process
Though it is tempting to move on from the pandemic and to try and forget the deadly illness that started it, COVID-19 looks like it is here to stay in one form or another. As updated on February 16, 2024, the California Department of Public Health reported a 7-day weekly average of 1,882 hospital admissions…
CalPERS Requires Agencies Provide More Information to Support Decisions on Local Safety Members’ Disability Retirements
On March 15, 2023, CalPERS issued Circular Letter 200-014-23, setting forth new requirements that contracting agencies must follow when determining whether local safety members are substantially incapacitated from performance of their usual duties for the purposes of a disability retirement. Specifically, under Circular Letter 200-014-23, agencies are now required to submit additional documentation and…
2023 Legislative Session: Employment Bills to Watch
The 2023 legislative session is well underway, and a number of bills have been introduced that could significantly impact California employers if they become law.
However, we anticipate that at least some of these bills will undergo substantial amendment as they work their way through the Legislature, meaning that, if these bills pass, the new…
Employee Use of CBD Products: Surveying the Legal Landscape For Employers After AB 45
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 45 (“AB 45”) into law on October 6, 2021. AB 45 is landmark legislation for the Cannabidiol (“CBD”) and hemp infused product industry in California. CBD and hemp infused products became widely available across the country following the federal government’s adoption of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Recreational…
Federal COVID-19 Discrimination Case Provides Essential Reminder for California Employers
Since the COVID-19 pandemic first began, it has had a multitude of evolving impacts on the operation of the workplace. One impact is the increased number of requests employers are receiving from employees for reasonable accommodations. These increases are attributed to various factors, which have evolved as the pandemic has progressed. At the outset of…
Accommodating the Religious Practices of a Diverse Workforce
Religious diversity, including the protection of religious minorities, is a core American value, as shown by its prominent placement in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, in the establishment and free exercise clauses. California is, unsurprisingly, a leader in religious diversity. Many religious believers adhere to, and find deep meaning in, religious observances including…
Your Employee Did What?? – HR Lessons Learned From Real Cases – 2015 Edition
It’s that time of year again when we look at some of the unbelievable employment cases and what lessons may be learned from them.
The “Devil’s” in the Details
Velma Craig sued the City of New York, her former employer, because the City refused to accommodate her religious beliefs. Craig, a school safety officer, would…