Employers are still catching their breath after the incredibly busy year we’ve already had, including California’s new workplace violence prevention laws, Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) reform, indoor heat illness prevention regulations and the recent federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) regulations. But they still need to prepare for the new laws starting January 1, 2025.
CalChamber’s employment law experts have analyzed the employment-related legislation that California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law this year and summed it up in the free New 2025 Labor and Employment Laws: What Employers Need to Know white paper.
Employers should take some time to familiarize themselves with upcoming changes to the minimum wage, leaves of absence, employer speech requirements, discrimination, workplace safety and more.
For example, one important change for 2025 is the newly enacted AB 2499, which expands and moves crime victims’ leave from the California Labor Code to the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) so the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) will now have enforcement authority. So, while employers with 25 or more employees must still provide employees who are victims of a crime with time off for treatment and various other reasons, the new law expands those reasons plus employers must provide employees with time off to help family members who are victims of a crime.
This bill, and many others, are detailed in the New 2025 Labor and Employment Laws: What Employers Need to Know white paper. CalChamber members can access the white paper here.
At the California Chamber of Commerce, we’re all about helping California businesses do business. We provide expert guidance and advocacy for California employers so businesses like yours can comply with frequently changing labor laws and thrive in a heavily regulated environment. Not a CalChamber member? Learn how to power your business with a CalChamber membership.
