On Monday, September 12, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education closed the two-month comment period for the public to voice their opinions on the proposed changes to Title IX, the federal law that governs how schools supported by federal funding respond to forms of sex discrimination. Over 200,000 comments flooded the U.S. Department of Education
"Sexual Harassment"
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…
Dating in the Workplace: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, If Coworkers Date, You Might Be Sued
With Valentine’s Day upon us, cupid may have left a few arrows in the workplace. People spend a lot of time with coworkers, including time at work and at social events, so it is not unheard of for workplace relationships to evolve into romantic relationships. A U.S. workforce study found that 36 percent of workers…
Pending Legislative Bills Relevant to Public Agencies – Awaiting the Governor’s Signature or Veto
January 1, 2020 may bring a number of significant changes to California law for public employers. Following the end of the Legislative Session on September 13, 2019, a number of proposed laws were passed by the Assembly and Senate and now await final approval by Governor Gavin Newson. He has until October 13, 2019 to…
A Brief Guide to Ensuring Compliance with Harassment Training Requirements: Where to Find Summaries of an Employer’s Training Obligations under SB 778 and SB 1343
In the past twelve months, Governors Jerry Brown and Gavin Newson have signed two bills into law affecting harassment training requirements for all employers in California with five or more employees. Below is a brief summary of these new laws as well as resources for employers to ensure compliance with harassment training requirements.
In October…
SB 778 Clean Up Legislation Signed Into Law Pushes Out Effective Date for Implementation of New SB 1343 Harassment Training Requirements to Calendar Year 2020 – What This Means for Employers
Following up on our December 6, 2018 Special Bulletin “DFEH Provides Guidance on Impact of New SB 1343 Harassment Training Requirements: Some Questions Answered, Many Still Remain – Including Possibility that ALL Supervisory and Nonsupervisory Employees Need to Be Trained or Retrained Again in 2019” regarding the impact of SB 1343’s new legal…
A #MeToo Legislative Reckoning is Coming to California in 2018
This post was authored by Stefanie K. Vaudreuil.
There are a number of bills pending in the California Legislature this year that employers should be watching closely.
SB 1038 California Fair Employment and Housing Act: personal liability
Under existing law, individuals may be liable under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) for…
Sexual Harassment Training Under Scrutiny: It’s Not Just What You Say, But What You Do That Matters
In the wake of recent attention to sexual harassment in the workplace, employers and members of the public are asking: what about all of those sexual harassment trainings we required? Are they helping? How do we know? And, if they’re not achieving our goals (public policy and agency-specific), what can we do better?
Just What …
The Annual Look at the Weird, Wacky and Just Plain Strange Employment Lawsuits
It is that time again. These are actual employment cases. Really, they are.
Mad at your co-workers? Tell a friend, not Facebook
Jayne Brill sued her former employer and the Virginia Employment Commission because she was terminated and denied unemployment benefits. Brill was alleged to have violated the company’s social media policy when she made…
Governor Brown Vetoes Bill To Codify Into State Law Federal Regulations And Repealed Federal Guidance On Student Sexual Assault
This post was authored by Alysha Stein-Manes and Jenny Denny
On October 15, 2017 Governor Brown vetoed Senate Bill (SB) 169, a bill that would have codified into state law federal Title IX regulations and recently-repealed guidance on sexual assault and sexual violence issued by the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights…