The California election results are unlikely to signal that “Happy Days Are Here Again” for California employers. Governor-elect Brown ran an underfunded campaign against an opponent with enormous personal wealth, much as former Governor Davis did in the primaries during his election. In both instances, significant campaign funding for the eventual winner came from organized labor. The governor, of course, appoints the California Labor Commissioner, the Industrial Welfare Commission, and the head of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing among others, including judges, for the next four years. None of that is encouraging, but it also is not new.

For more information about what companies with California employees can anticipate and should start doing to prepare, see the GT Alert authored by Jim Nelson.