Governor Newsom finished up his duties in the most recent legislative session, signing upwards of 70 laws into effect – with a handful of them concerning California’s employment landscape.
From SB 616 to AB 1228, California workers and employers will soon see increased paid sick leave, boosted wages for the fast food and healthcare industries, further non-compete restrictions, and much more. To help you unpack the laws most relevant to you, I’m kicking off a new blog series – Anticipated CA Labor Laws for 2024 – that dives into each of these laws according to their industry and forecasted impact on employees and employers alike.
Get an overview of this upcoming series, and stay tuned for our first installment, Part 1: SB 616 & SB 848 Increase Paid Sick Leave & Reproductive Loss Leave.
SB 616 & SB 848 Increase Paid Sick Leave & Reproductive Loss Leave
Come the new year, California will expand paid sick leave and implement new reproductive loss leave with the passing of SB 616 and 848. SB 616 will boost the mandated sick leave from three days, or 24 hours, to five days or 40 hours. It also increases accrual and carryover caps.
Meanwhile, SB 848 requires employers with 5+ workers to offer up to five days of leave following reproductive loss events, which include miscarriages, stillbirths, or failed adoptions. The law also states that employers cannot mandate the use of another type of leave first, such as vacation or sick time.
AB 1228 & SB 525: Fast Food & Healthcare Pay Increases
Newsom also recently signed AB 1228 and SB 525, which will increase wages for fast food and healthcare workers. AB 1228 finalizes a former agreement to establish a Fast Food Council that will set minimum wages for fast food employees. The first increase is scheduled to hit in April 2024 at $20 per hour, followed by annual increases.
Separately, SB 525 introduced scheduled minimum wage hikes for healthcare workers depending on the facility type. The first raise comes in June 2024, with rates spanning $20-25 an hour depending on position and facility.
SB 700 & SB 553: Cannabis Use & Workplace Violence Protections
Employee protections around cannabis use and workplace violence prevention will also take effect in 2024, with SB 700 banning discrimination against applicants based on past cannabis use revealed in criminal records.
SB 553 also takes effect next year, and mandates that employers implement workforce violence prevention plans starting July 2024. These plans should cover incident logs, hazard training, and periodic review.
SB 699 & AB 1076: Non-Compete Agreements & Employee Restrictive Covenants
Two more laws, SB 699 and AB 1076, will strengthen existing restrictions on non-compete agreements and restrictive covenants. SB 699 voids contracts that limit lawful business, and stops employers from mandating non-competes.
As for AB 1076, this bill makes imposing non-competes unlawful, and requires notification of void agreements from California businesses by February 2024. Ultimately, the laws are aimed at boosting “employee mobility.”
This is just the preview of the upcoming Anticipated CA Labor Laws for 2024 blog series, with our first installment covering new laws related to paid sick leave and reproductive loss leave. Come back soon for an update, or add my blog to your bookmarks to stay in tune with California’s employment landscape.
Mediation & Conflict Resolution
If you as an employee or your company needs help resolving disputes over non-compete agreements, consider mediation before going to court. An experienced mediator can help you reach a mutually agreeable solution, which is often less costly and stressful than the uncertainty of litigation. In other words, my services provide a guaranteed path to resolution outside of a courtroom.
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.