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
FEHA
Religion in the Public Sector Workplace
This article was originally published in July 2016. The information has been reviewed and is up-to-date as of February 2024.
Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are typically cited as the major religions of the world, although there are many others that have tens of millions of adherents or more. The United States has no…
California’s Cannabis Anti-Discrimination Law is Modified before January 1, 2024 Effective Date.
In 2022, the California Legislature passed and Governor Newsom approved, Assembly Bill 2188 (AB 2188). Effective January 1, 2024, AB 2188 amends California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) to make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment, or otherwise penalize a…
Raines v. U.S. Healthworks Medical Group Rains Down Liability Under FEHA To Business-Entity Agents
On August 21, 2023, the California Supreme Court’s decision in Raines v. U.S. Healthworks Medical Group significantly expanded the scope of potential liability under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) to an employer’s business-entity agents that have five or more employees.
Case Background and Analysis
Plaintiffs Kristina Raines and Darrick Figg brought a class…
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…
Public Education Agencies, Take Heed! If You’re Not Paying Attention to SB 278 and AB 1667, You Could Be On the Hook for Repaying CalPERS or CalSTRS A Lot of Money
The Public Employees’ Retirement Law (PERL) and State Teachers’ Retirement Law (STRL) provide defined benefit retirement plans administered by CalPERS or CalSTRS, respectively, for eligible employees of participating public agencies (“employers”). To fund these plans, public education agency employers report member compensation to either CalPERS or CalSTRS directly, or through their county offices of education. …
What Employers Should Know About California’s Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022
This year, the California Legislature passed and the Governor approved the Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 523 or SB 523), a piece of legislation intended to increase the ability of Californians to exercise full control over their reproductive decisions and to expand coverage and decrease access barriers to reproductive health services.
Among other…
New Law Prohibits Discrimination in Employment for Outside-of-Work Cannabis Use
On September 18, 2022, Governor Newsom signed and approved Assembly Bill 2188 (“AB 2188”), which amends the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) to generally prohibit an employer from discriminating against an employee or employment applicant for cannabis use off the job and away from work, which is a significant change to the…
Key Considerations For Employers When Developing An Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, And Retaliation Policy
The Fair Employment and Housing Act (the FEHA) provides employees with legal protection from harassment, discrimination and retaliation. The Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is the California agency that oversees and enforces the FEHA. As part of its oversight role, DFEH issues guidance to employers to assist in compliance with the FEHA requirements.…
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…