As of Jan. 1, 2025, the California Worker Freedom from Employer Intimidation Act (SB 399) provides new protections for workers across the state. The law prohibits private and public employers from forcing or threatening employees to attend meetings or listen to...
AM&G
Employee Rights
NY Philharmonic Facing an Uproar Since a Recent Magazine Article Detailed Allegations of a 2010 Sexual Assault by Two Principal Players against another Female Player
The New York Philharmonic is one of the most well-known orchestras in the country, but has recently been rocked by a sexual assault scandal amongst its musicians. The alleged sexual assault occurred more than a decade ago, but details only recently became public in a...
Former BlackBerry Employee Alleges Company CEO Sexually Harassed Her
A former Blackberry employee in California is suing the company’s new CEO John Giamatteo for sexual harassment and retaliation. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, allleges Giametteo harassed the employee in 2021 and...
A New Leave Mandate for Reproductive Loss Events in California
For employers with 5 or more employees, California implemented a law mandating that they provide 20 days (about 3 weeks) of leave per 20-month period for employees experiencing reproductive loss events. The groundbreaking piece of legislation went into effect on...
California legislature passes law to ban caste discrimination
Our nation continues to make progress on employee protections, and California is often a trailblazer. This was recently highlighted when the vast majority of lawmakers voted in favor of extending discrimination protections beyond race to include caste. Lawmakers...
Supreme Court rules USPS must accommodate employee’s religious views
A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Pennsylvania mail carrier who refused to work on Sundays due to his evangelical Christian beliefs. Gerald Groff sued the United States Postal Service for religious discrimination when he was reprimanded. As part of...
California legislature considers expanding worker sick leave
Proposed legislation currently in the California Senate would more than double existing paid sick leave for employees starting in 2024. In mid-April, the Senate Labor, Employment and Retirement Committee approved Senate Bill 616. It now goes before the Appropriations...
NLRB rules ‘overly broad’ severance agreements violate labor laws
In February, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled employers offering severance agreements containing broad non-disparagement and confidentiality clauses violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The McLaren Macomb decision is seen by many as a...
Appeals court rejects limits to California employer-mandated arbitration
Few people know what arbitration is but chances are you have signed an agreement with your employer waiving your right to have your dispute with your employer decided by a jury. Instead, any employment dispute will be decided by an arbitrator—paid for by your...
California employment law changes for 2021
In 2021, California will offer new benefits and opportunities to workers in the form of evolving employment law regulations. Forward-thinking legislative efforts, set to take effect this year, will have a significant impact on employees across the state. These new...