October 2015

In June 2015, the California state Senate approved a bill to raise the minimum wage from $9 to $11 an hour and boost it again to $13 in 2017. Supporters say it is necessary to give millions of workers a living wage. Detractors say the state’s economy can’t withstand the $393 million in increased costs […]

Governor Jerry Brown signed a new pay equity law on October 6, 2015, SB 358, subjecting California employers to a stricter standard for gender pay equality. Before the governor signed the law, it passed the state legislature with broad support. It’s considered the most aggressive equal pay law in the nation, and means that California […]

At the end of September, the house unanimously voted to pass H.R. 1624, the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act (PACE), to rescind the Affordable Care Act’s expanded definition of small employers. The legislation has the support of employers and the benefits industry, easing fears that expansion would cause premium increases and be a problem […]

Recently, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) amendment was signed into law. Governor Brown signed AB 987, making it illegal for employers and others to retaliate against employees who request accommodations for religious or disability reasons. The amended law makes requesting such an accommodation a protected activity whether the accommodation is granted or […]