With summer in full swing, several new federal and California state employment laws will soon take effect come July 1, 2023. Many of these laws address aspects of employment, aiming to bring positive changes to California labor.
While our last blog dove into SB 553, a new CA law which prohibits employers from requiring workers to confront offenders, this series installment will summarize a handful of federal and state that will provide pregnant workers with additional benefits, seal criminal records for employment purposes, support construction contractors, and more.
Get my overview of this past term’s newest employment laws, set to go into effect on July 1, 2023:
New Federal Employment Laws
This federal employment law is already in effect as of June 27th:
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act went into effect on June 27, 2023, and was designed to offer longer breaks, shorter hours, and time off for medical appointments and childbirth recovery for millions of pregnant and postpartum workers across the country.
It mandates that employers with 15 or less employees provide “reasonable accommodations” to workers for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. It’s anticipated that the policy change will benefit an estimated 2.8 million workers annually.
CA Employment Law Legislation Going Into Effect by July 1, 2023
California will see a total of five new employment-related laws going into effect in July, with three of them addressing issues in various industries. Here’s a rundown of what to expect come July 1, 2023:
SB 731 Seals Past Criminal Records
This bill is set to allow nearly all past convictions on individual criminal records to be permanently sealed, as long as they’ve served their terms of incarceration and have remained free of convictions for at least four years thereafter.
Currently, about eight million California residents have at least one arrest on their record. Come July 1, approximately 225,000 will see their old convictions automatically sealed – with one million more eligible to petition a judge for a seal.
Ultimately, SB 731 is meant to help people with criminal records step back into employment. However, sex offenders won’t be able to seal their records.
AB 2011 & SB 6 Tend to Construction Contractors
Another significant part of this wave of CA legislation is AB 2011 and SB 6, which both address construction contractors and housing development.
AB 2011, or the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022, and SB 6, the Middle Class Housing Act of 2022, are set to streamline construction for low-income multifamily housing developments and various commercial projects, including office spaces, retail centers, and parking structures.
Along with promoting affordable housing, both of these laws seek to strengthen the health benefits and wage laws tied to construction contractors.
By setting higher standards for wages and benefits in the construction industry, AB 2011 and SB 6 work toward improving the overall well-being of construction workers.
AB 1667 Regulates Benefits Pay-Backs for Teachers
Introduced in February 2019, AB 1667 was drafted out of concern for the State Teachers Retirement System.
It addresses concerns raised regarding benefit pay-backs for retired teachers in CalSTRS, many of whom found themselves paying back benefits when audit reports identified errors or miscalculations. As a result, many retired educators found themselves financially strained.
AB 1667 rectifies this issue by restricting CalSTRS from mandating pension pay-backs based on audit reports. It’s anticipated to bring relief to retired teachers, allowing them to enjoy their later years without fear of unexpected financial obligations.
If you’re a California resident and employee with a criminal record, a construction contractor, or a retired teacher who’s had to pay back their pension, these laws directly impact certain aspects of your employment.
SB 731 will seal criminal records to help with employment, spare for sex offenders. AB 2011 and SB 6 will streamline construction regulations, promote affordable housing, and improve working conditions for contractors.
As for AB 1667, retired teachers will rest easy knowing that their benefit pay-backs are regulated, allowing them to enjoy their well-deserved retirement without any unexpected financial burdens.
AB 1655 Makes Juneteenth a California State Holiday
AB 1655 adds June 19, or Juneteenth, as a California state holiday, yet wasn’t recognized since it goes into effect on July 1, 2023. California state offices and courts were reportedly open this year despite the day being declared a federal holiday for the first time, most likely because the Juneteenth holiday isn’t paid for state workers.
Experienced Employment & Title IX Mediator & ADR Professional
Twice-named a U.S. News Best Lawyer in America for employment and labor law, Angela Reddock-Wright is an employment, labor law & Title IX mediator and alternative dispute resolution professional. Known as the “Workplace Guru,” Angela is an influencer and leading authority on employment, workplace/HR, Title IX, hazing, and bullying issues. Furthermore, she’s been named a “Top 50 Woman Attorney” in California by Super Lawyers, a “Top California Employment Lawyer” by the Daily Journal, and one of Los Angeles’ “Most Influential Minority and Women Attorneys” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Angela is a regular legal and media commentator and analyst and has appeared on such media outlets as Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Law and Crime with Brian Ross, Court TV, CNN, NewsNation, ABC News, CBS News, Fox 11 News, KTLA-5, the Black News Channel, Fox Soul – The Black Report, NPR, KPCC, Airtalk-89.3, KJLH Front Page with Dominique DiPrima, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times, Forbes.com, Yahoo! Entertainment, People Magazine, Essence Magazine, the Los Angeles Sentinel, LA Focus, Daily Journal, Our Weekly and the Wave Newspapers.
Angela is a member of the panel of distinguished mediators and arbitrators with Signature Resolution, a California dispute resolution company. She also owns her dispute resolution law firm, the Reddock Law Group of Los Angeles, specializing in the mediation and resolution of employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other workplace claims, along with Title IX, sexual harassment, assault, and misconduct conduct cases, along with hazing and bullying cases in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, fraternities and sororities; fire, police and other public safety agencies and departments.
Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram @iamangelareddockwright, LinkedIn at Linkedin.com/in/angelareddock, and tune in to my weekly radio show, KBLA Talk 1580’s Legal Lens with Angela Reddock-Wright each Saturday and Sunday at 11 am PST, or catch past episodes on Anchor.fm/Spotify. You can learn more about the radio show here – https://angelareddock-wright.com/radio-show/.
Also, learn more about my book – The Workplace Transformed: 7 Crucial Lessons from the Global Pandemic – here – https://angelareddock-wright.com/book/.
For media inquiries, please reach out to monty@kwsmdigital.com.
For more information regarding resources mediation and dispute resolution resources for both employees and employers, connect with Angela on LinkedIn for new updates or contact her here. You may also follow her on Instagram.
This communication is not legal advice. It is educational only. For legal advice, consult with an experienced employment law attorney in your state or city.