New Employment Laws Taking Effect Next Year in California
2024 will bring a flurry of new employment laws to California. With the ending of the latest legislative session, we now know which laws will take effect in the new year.
Whether you are an employee or an employer in California, it is important that you understand the new laws. If you believe that your employer violated one of these laws or another employment regulation, contact Levin & Nalbandyan at (213) 232-4848 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
New California Employment Laws Taking Effect in 2024
There will be several updates or changes to employment law in the Golden State next year. If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact our employment law lawyers today.
SB 553: Workplace Violence
With limited exceptions, Senate Bill 553 would require employers to “establish, implement, and maintain, at all times in all work areas, an effective workplace violence prevention plan.”
SB 428: Employee Harassment Restraining Orders
Senate Bill 428 allows an employer to seek a temporary restraining order or injunction on behalf of an employee who has suffered harassment.
SB 616: Sick Days
Senate Bill 616 expands California’s paid sick leave (PSL) law, the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014. Along with other provisions, SB 616 increases the amount of leave that an employer must provide from three days to five days or from 24 hours to 40 hours, depending on the situation.
SB 848: Leave for Reproductive Loss
Current law requires employers to allow employees up to five days of bereavement leave for the loss of a family member. Senate Bill 848 would make it unlawful for an employer to refuse a request by an employee to take five days of bereavement for reproductive loss.
AB 1076: Noncompete Agreements
Assembly Bill 1076 amends the Business and Professions Code to codify existing case law that voids any noncompete agreement or clause that does not satisfy a specified exception.
SB 699: Contracts in Restraint of Trade
Again, dealing with noncompete agreements, Senate Bill 699 expands the state’s prohibition on most of these contracts and clauses. Under SB 699, an employer may not attempt to enter into or enforce a void noncompete agreement.
AB 1228: Fast Food Council
Assembly Bill 1228 establishes a Fast Food Council. The council would work to establish an industry-wide minimum wage and working conditions. Under AB 1228, the minimum wage for fast food workers would be increased to $20 per hour beginning on April 1, 2024.
SB 525: Minimum Wage for Health Care Workers
Healthcare workers receive an extensive increase in minimum wage under Senate Bill 525. The new law establishes five new minimum wage schedules for healthcare workers. Many workers will see an increase in their minimum wage under the new law beginning June 1, 2024.
AB 636: Required Disclosures for Agricultural Workers
Assembly Bill 636 expands disclosure requirements for agricultural or farmworkers. It also requires employers to provide employees written notice of the existence of a state or federal declaration in the county where an employee works.
SB 700: Employment Discrimination Based on Cannabis Use
Under Senate Bill 700, it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee based on their use of cannabis when they are not working and are not on a job site. It is also unlawful for an employer to request information about a job applicant’s prior use of cannabis.
Contact Our Office to Learn More
These are only a few of the many changes that are coming to the employment law landscape in 2024. Contact our office at (213) 232-4848 to learn more and see how we can help protect your rights.
