Compliance Stuff

Governor Newsom recently approved several employment bills that will significantly impact the rights of employees in California starting on  January 1, 2025 . DWT recommends that employers take note of these new laws and get ahead of the game by reviewing their employee handbooks, personnel policies, and employment contracts before the end of the year. SB 399: "Captive Audience" Meeting Ban With the approval of SB 399, California joined a growing number of states that have now enacted bans on employer-sponsored "captive audience" meetings. Effective January 1, 2025, SB 399, a union-backed bill known as the California Worker Freedom from Employer Intimidation Act, will prohibit California employers from requiring their employees attend mandatory meetings on religious or political matters, including anti-unionization. Employers may not retaliate against employees for refusing to attend such meetings. Employees who are scheduled to work during the meeting must be paid...

California is on the verge of adding yet one more prohibited employment practice to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). On September 9, 2024, the California Legislature presented Governor Gavin Newsom with Senate Bill (SB) No. 1100, legislation that would make it an unlawful employment practice for an employer “to include a statement in a job advertisement, posting, application, or other material that an applicant must have a driver’s license” unless the employer meets certain conditions. Quick Hits If Governor Newsom signs SB 1100, FEHA will prohibit employers from requiring job applicants to have a driver’s license, with limited exceptions. California already makes it a violation for an employer or other entity to discriminate against individuals with driver’s licenses issued to undocumented workers. SB 1100 would amend FEHA by adding Section 129454.8 to the California Government Code to prohibit an employer from including in “a job advertisement, posting, applica...