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
policy
Six Do’s and Don’ts of Workplace Investigations
Conducting comprehensive and accurate workplace investigations is an integral part of an employer’s duties. Whether the investigation involves allegations of minor violations of policy or more serious allegations of discrimination or harassment, each instance should be carefully analyzed to ensure all the relevant facts are uncovered so the employer can respond appropriately. If left unaddressed…
What Employers Need to Know about California’s New Reproductive Loss Leave Law
It was Friday July 5, 2013. I was sitting in my doctor’s office. I was desperately hoping I was fine, but had a sinking feeling I was having a miscarriage. The doctor’s office was packed because it was closed the day before. I was anxious, scared, and had a current of emotions coursing through me.
Changes to Paid Sick Leave Obligations Are Coming: Be Sure to Have the Right Policies in Place Before the Year Ends.
On October 4, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (“SB”) 616 into law.
SB 616 amends the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (Labor Code sections 245-249) to increase the minimum number of paid sick days to which employees, including public employees, are entitled as well as the minimum number of days employees may…
Keep Your Office Halloween Party from Becoming a Cauldron of Toil and Trouble
This article was originally published in October 2019. The information has been reviewed and is up-to-date as of October 2023.
Many workplaces and schools engage in Halloween celebrations, and with good reason. LCW is no exception:
However, Halloween parties can be scary for risk managers, as they carry the potential to put a few skeletons…
Spring Cleaning: A Perfect Time to Refresh Your Employee Handbook
Spring cleaning is a time-honored tradition that many people use to refresh and reorganize their homes and workplaces. For employers, it is also a great opportunity to revisit and update your employee handbooks. Maybe you had the best intentions of revamping your employee handbook at year end but the holidays came and went and your…
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…
Ninth Circuit Provides New Guidance For Defining Protected Speech Under the First Amendment And The Permissible Scope Of Social Media Policies
Social media sites have become the new “public square” where individuals share opinions and information about all types of political and societal events. Public sector employees, as much as anyone else, use social media to post viewpoints and to participate in public debate. Problems arise, however, when a public employee posts harsh, derogatory, defamatory, or…
U.S. Department of Education Releases Proposed Changes to 2020 Title IX Regulations
On Thursday, June 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education released proposed changes to the Title IX regulations. The release of the amendments marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the federal law protecting individuals against sex discrimination in education programs and activities supported by federal funding. The proposed regulations will be open for public…
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.…