Recent California appellate decisions are reshaping how religious organizations may need to think about wage and hour exposure.
California Employers Face March 30, 2026, Deadline to Offer Emergency Contact Designation
By March 30, 2026, California employers are required to notify existing employees of the opportunity to identify an emergency contact and to allow employees to designate whether the contact should receive notification if the employee is arrested or detained at the jobsite, during work hours, or offsite while performing their job duties, and the employer has “actual knowledge of the arrest or detention of the employee.”
Labor Policy Pendulum Swings Again: New Federal Rules Reshape Joint-Employer and Independent Contractor Standards
Some employers that rely on staffing arrangements, franchise relationships, or independent contractors may see meaningful shifts in federal labor policy because of a pair of federal agency rulemaking announcements released in February 2026.
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Ninth Circuit Warns California Employers Implementing Arbitration Agreements Mid-Litigation
On Jan. 28, 2026, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Avery v. TEKsystems, Inc. affirmed a district court order refusing to enforce an arbitration agreement rolled out during class litigation.
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’Tis the Season for California’s New Employment Laws: Employer Considerations for 2026
As California employers head into another year of compliance planning, the Golden State legislature has not slowed down. From higher wage thresholds and expanded pay-equity rules to sweeping changes affecting
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Ignorance Is Not Bliss for Employers Asserting Good Faith Defense to Liquidated Damages in Minimum Wage Claims
On Aug. 21, 2025, the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Iloff v. LaPaille (18 Cal. 551 (2025)), addressing the standard employers must meet in order to assert a
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California Claws Back: New Limits on Stay-or-Pay Contracts Starting Jan. 1, 2026
When employers offer new hires a sign-on bonus or existing employees a retention bonus, they typically structure the bonuses as an upfront payment subject to a conditional repayment obligation if
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California Expands Whistleblower Retaliation Protections for Employees in the AI Sector
On Sept. 29, 2025, California Gov. Newsom signed Senate Bill 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, into law.
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ERISA Document Disclosure: Zavislak v. Netflix, Inc. and the Ninth Circuit’s Narrow Reading of Section 104
In a significant decision for employers, plan administrators, and ERISA practitioners, the Ninth Circuit’s recent ruling in Zavislak v. Netflix, Inc. reaffirms a narrow interpretation of the disclosure requirements under ERISA Section 104(b)(4) and offers insight into how courts may treat compliance delays during extraordinary circumstances.
California Court of Appeal Warns Against Attorney Misuse of Artificial Intelligence
On Sept. 12, 2025, the first California court issued an explicit “warning” to attorneys who use AI as part of their legal practice. In Sylvia Noland v. Land of the
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