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WHAT’S NEW IN 2025
STAY IN YOUR LANE
Driver’s License Discrimination
Since 2014, California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) has prohibited national origin discrimination against an individual for holding a so-called “AB 60” driver’s license available to undocumented workers under California Vehicle Code 12801.9. However, this has not barred employers for rejecting applicants or terminating workers for lacking any driver’s license.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2024
SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAIR CHANCE ORDINANCE
Effective October 10, 2024
The nationwide “ban-the-box” movement is part of government’s effort to remedy blanket disqualification of job applicants with criminal records.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2025
FREELANCE WORKERS PROTECTIONS
SB 988: New Rules for Independent Contractor Status
Effective January 1, 2025, SB 988 provides new protections for freelance workers.
“Freelance worker” is defined as an individual or single-person organization, incorporated or not, which a hiring entity engages “as a bona fide independent contractor to provide professional services” of $250 or more, either singly or combined with services in last 120 days.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2025
COMBO PROTECTION
California Recognizes Hybrid Forms of Workplace Discrimination
Recently enacted Senate Bill 1137 clarifies that California’s anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws based on protected classifications – such as race, gender, age, disability and sexual orientation – also apply to “intersectional identities” in which two or more of these classifications can result in a unique form of discrimination.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2025
TWO BITES
Local Government Workplace Discrimination Laws Coming
Since the 1959 enactment of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the statewide Civil Rights Department (CRD) (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing or DFEH) has been the sole authority to enforce workplace discrimination laws.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2025
UNSPLITTING HAIRS
Race Discrimination Clarified
As previously reported, California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits racial discrimination for an employee’s and applicant’s “historically” race-related hairstyles under the 2019 Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2025
NOT SO FAST
Using Earned Vacation Time No Longer a Paid Family Leave Prerequisite
Unemployment Insurance Code 3303.1 has permitted California employers to require an employee to take up to two weeks of earned, unused vacation prior to commencing Paid Family Leave (PFL).
NO RACIAL EPITHETS
Keep Harassment and Retaliation Out of the Workplace
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) * forbids harassment against employees that alters the conditions of employment resulting in an abusive work environment; and * prohibits retaliation for complaining of harassment. To rise to the level of unlawful harassment, the behavior must be severe or pervasive.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2024
MINIMUM LIFE SUPPORT
Health Care Facility Pay Hikes Take Effect October 16, 2024
As previously reported, recently enacted Labor Code sections 1182.14 and 1182.15 substantially increase minimum wage for workers in various health care facilities, eventually raising the rate to $25/hour, superseding local minimum wage laws.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2025
UPDATED WORKERS COMPENSATION POSTING
Employers Must Advise Injured Workers of Right to Consult an Attorney
California Labor Code 3550 requires employers to prominently display a Notice to Employees-Injuries Caused by Work…