Summary Judgment Granted on All Claims in Employment Discrimination Case
Associate Daniel Kozieja successfully obtained summary judgment on behalf of the Defendants in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Judge Jennifer L. Thurston granted the Defendants’ motion for summary judgment on all causes of action, including claims for discrimination, retaliation, failure to accommodate, failure to engage in the interactive process, […]
Trial Court Reduces PAGA Penalties and Attorney’s Fees: What Can Employers Do to Avoid Statutory Maximum Penalties?
California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuits often expose California employers to significant civil penalties. However, a recent California Court of Appeal decision provides an important reminder: trial courts have broad discretion to reduce PAGA penalties and attorney’s fees when the circumstances warrant it. In a recent decision of Taduran v. Glidewell, Dental Ceramics, Inc., […]
California Court Clarifies the Standard for Employer Knowledge under FEHA of a Disability Based on Observation
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) requires California employers to engage in a timely interactive process upon first learning of an employee’s disability. The interactive process requires the employer and employee to engage in a timely and good-faith exchange of information regarding the employee’s limitations and potential accommodations, and to identify any reasonable […]
Employer Guidance on Automated Decision Making
By January 1, 2027, certain businesses that use automated decision-making technology to make employment decisions must comply with new California Privacy Protection Agency regulations. The regulations generally apply to large employers — those with annual revenue in excess of $25 million dollars. Any such large employer that uses automated decision-making technology for significant employment decisions […]
Reminder on New Restrictions Governing Employee Debts
Now that 2026 is well under way, employers may want to assess their compliance with one of this year’s more nuanced new laws – AB 692 – governing employee debts. AB 692 was enacted to prohibit employers from forcing employees who resign to pay for work-related benefits such as trainings, or school tuition. The law […]
Court Finds Employee’s Mistaken Belief of a Legal Violation Protected From Retaliation
California courts continue to interpret whistleblower protections broadly and extend this protection to employees even when they are wrong about the law or an alleged violation. In a recent decision, a California Court of Appeal held that an employee may pursue a whistleblower retaliation claim under Labor Code section 1102.5 based on the employee’s mistaken, […]
New Pay Equity Rules & Reporting Requirements Employers Should Not Ignore
Pay equity and pay transparency continue to be legislative priorities in California. Over the past several years, the Legislature has repeatedly expanded California’s Equal Pay Act (Lab. Code §§ 1197.5, 432.3) and imposed increasingly detailed pay data reporting requirements on employers. The latest legislation continues this trend and further increases compliance obligations and potential litigation […]
OBBBA’s Not-So-Beautiful Overtime and Tip Reporting Requirements
The 2025 federal budget law “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) created two temporary federal income tax deductions that rely on employer information reporting: (i) a deduction for qualified tips (IRC §224) and (ii) a deduction for qualified overtime compensation (IRC §225). Both apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024, and each terminates […]
California Employers Must Provide Employees and New Hires the Opportunity to Name an Emergency Contact by March 30, 2026
The California Legislature recently passed the “Workplace Know Your Rights Act (“Act”).” The Act requires employers to provide an annual workplace rights notice to employees focused on protection against immigration-related practices. While this new notice requirement contained in the Act has been widely publicized, another notice requirement was enacted as part of the Act to […]
Implement “Know Your Rights” Notice By February 1
A new California law requires employers to provide all California-based employees a new notice notifying employees of their workplace rights, including when interacting with law enforcement and immigration agents in the workplace. The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) published a sample “Workplace Know Your Rights Act” notice pursuant to Senate Bill 294, which is […]