New California Employment Laws 2019

This is the time of year that Californians, especially California businesses, learn of the slew of new laws that will go into effect in the coming year.  This year is not any different and the new laws are reflective of the social discussions around sexual harassment over the course of the last couple of years. California employers now have a number of laws that will require changes in your documents, training requirements, and how you do business, to name a few.  Below is a list of new laws that I thought were the most interesting and relevant by category, although there is inevitably some overlap. Contracts 1. Employers will be prohibited, with certain exceptions, from requiring an employee to execute a release of a claim or right under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) or to sign a nondisparagement agreement or other document that purports to deny the employee the right to disclose information about unlawful acts in the workplace, including, but not limited to, sexual harassment.  This is applicable when the release is provided in exchange for a raise … Continue reading

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How to Prevent Sexual Harassment

You’ve probably heard the quote “prevention is cheaper than cure” and the same holds true for sexual harassment claims in the workplace.  If you’re looking ahead and wondering how to prevent sexual harassment, sexual harassment prevention training, is the way to go. If you are a California employer with 50 or more employees, you are subject to a law commonly known as AB1825.  This law mandates sexual harassment training for supervisory employees every two years.   The law was enacted in 2005, which makes 2015 a re-training year.  Even if you are a smaller employer, a modified training program will go a long way to preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. Basic Provisions of California’s AB1825 Two Hours of Sexual Harassment Training Every Two Years The deadline for the first round of AB 1825 training was December 31, 2005. Thereafter, employers must provide two hours of training to each supervisory employee every two years. 50 or More Employees AB1825’s sexual harassment training requirements apply to organizations that regularly employ 50 or more employees. (Independent contractors and temps are included in the … Continue reading

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