New $100,000 Fee for H-1B Visas
H-1B visas have been in the news this last week, beginning with a Presidential Proclamation creating a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions, as…
Revised Rule on ‘Floor Openings’ Fall Protection Takes Effect Oct. 1
What is happening with the fall protection standard that the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has been working on since 2019? The…
Best Ways to Handle Coworker Concerns about Transgender Employee
I recently hired a transgender employee. Some employees have told me that using pronouns which don’t align with someone’s biological sex goes against their religious…
Long Beach Adopts Self-Checkout Staffing Ordinance
In late August 2025, the City of Long Beach approved a new ordinance implementing self-service checkout staffing requirements in certain retail settings. Effective September 21,…
Los Angeles City Hotel, Airport Worker Minimum Wage Increase Now in Effect, Affects Santa Monica Hotel Workers
In late June 2025, a referendum petition challenging Los Angeles City’s hotel and airport worker minimum wage ordinance was filed with the Los Angeles City…
Employer Didn’t Violate Title VII When It Denied Vaccine Accommodation
Recently, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court ruling for Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue (SRFR), finding it didn’t violate Title VII…
New Flow Charts Added in PAGA FAQs Update
After the 2024 Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) reform, the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) published frequently asked questions (FAQs), including information on who can…
Stopped: New Employer Penalty, Burdensome Changes to Claims Process
A CalChamber-led coalition of business groups, including local chambers of commerce, has stopped a Cost Driver bill that would have exposed employers to a new 30 percent penalty…
Increase Your Confidence Disciplining, Terminating California Employees
Can I terminate an employee who is “not a good fit” in their first few weeks? What information should be in a disciplinary warning? What…
‘Misconduct’ Not Automatic Cause for Denying Unemployment Benefits
We terminated an employee, and she has filed a claim for unemployment benefits. We want to fight her claim because she was fired for falsifying…
