Every California employer with 5 or more employees must comply with California’s mandatory sexual harassment training requirements (as set forth in Senate Bill No. 1343). In August 2019, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 778, which clarified several ambiguities pertaining to these requirements and extended the deadline to January 1, 2021.  Employers must ensure their [...]

As startups scale and legacy industries evolve, one voice is quietly guiding some of the boldest entrepreneurial moves in business today: Sapana Grossi. Based in Los Angeles and advising clients nationwide, Grossi has become a go-to legal strategist for founders navigating formation, funding, and long-term scale. Grossi has been a licensed attorney since 2008, bringing [...]

Overview Holiday pay is not required by law.  Rather, it is at the discretion of each employer.  If an employer chooses to provide paid time off during the holidays (or extra pay for holidays worked), a clear written policy should set forth the rules and terms.  Any employment practice that disfavors certain employees due to [...]

Overview: Minimum wage rates have increased in various California cities and counties, including a new $15.00 rate for workers in Los Angeles (city and county).  Employers also need to familiarize themselves with the revised COVID-19 prevention emergency temporary standards, which became effective on June 17, 2021.  Additionally, California employers who do not offer an employer-sponsored [...]

Overview: Yes, we know COVID isn’t over yet.  However, it looks to be on a significant downturn and will hopefully be in our rearview mirror sooner rather than later.  Restaurant owners have (painfully) learned a lot over the past few years, with many restaurants going out of business.  Now is the time to regroup, reflect, [...]

Overview: There are many new public health laws for 2021 that California employers must be aware of and potentially take prompt action to comply with.  From COVID-19 related laws (including notice and reporting requirements, workers’ compensation liability presumptions, and handwashing rules for food industry workers) to worker classification issues (employees versus independent contractors), the new [...]

Overview: Cal/OSHA recently adopted an emergency standard for COVID-19 prevention in the workplace, effective November 30, 2020.  Significant new requirements have been imposed on California employers, including the requirement to continue paying employees excluded from work for having been exposed to COVID-19.  The emergency regulation will be in effect for 180 days, which may be [...]

Overview: Several new labor and employment-related laws have been enacted, and California employers need to stay current.  These laws address various leave provisions (sick leave, medical leave, child bonding leave, crime victim leave), “no re-hire” provisions in employment-related settlement agreements, timeframe for filing DLSE complaints, attorneys’ fees for whistleblowers, and successor liability for wage/hour judgments.  [...]

Overview: The paid sick leave protections of SB 95 are similar to prior 2020 legislation, which expired on December 31, 2020.  However, SB 95 applies to employers with more than 25 employees (a big change from 500 or more per the 2020 business law) and provides additional reasons for leave, including vaccine-related reasons.  SB 95 [...]