Teresa McQueen
Western Growers, Corporate Counsel III
Teresa McQueen is Corporate Counsel III for Western Growers. In that capacity she provides advice and counsel to the organization on employment law matters and commercial trade practices. She also provides legal guidance to Western Growers members on employment law, human resources, and commercial agreements, as well as providing law-related educational opportunities and overseeing annual […]
Posts By: Teresa McQueen
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EEOC Rescinds Workplace Harassment Guidance
As discussed here, on November 1, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) finalized a new anti-harassment resource titled Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace (“Guidance”). The Guidance was approved and published by the EEOC on April 29, 2024, and was immediately subjected to legal challenge. On May 15, 2025, a federal district court in Texas…
Best Practices: Managing Performance Issues When Employees Take Protected Leave
When it comes to managing employee performance issues, many employers struggle with whether or not protected leave—such as leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)—creates a barrier to addressing legitimate performance concerns. The reality is that employees on protected leave are not per se “untouchable,” and…
Department of Labor Clarifies Use of FMLA Leave for Travel to Medical Appointments
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a significant opinion clarifying that employees are entitled to use leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) not only for the time spent at medical appointments but also for the time spent traveling to and from these appointments. This clarification applies both to medical appointments related to an employee’s own serious health…
California Civil Rights Department Publishes Updated Pay Data Guidance/FAQs
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has published preliminary versions of its pay data reporting templates for Reporting Year 2025 as a precursor to the wider collection of pay data reporting resources scheduled for release in February 2026. The 2025 preliminary templates are a simplified version of the operative templates that will be required for the 2025 reporting…
California’s DLSE Updates its Healthy Workplaces/Healthy Families Act Notice
The California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) has updated its Healthy Workplaces/Healthy Families Act Paid Sick Leave Notice. The update reflects changes in the law that took place in 2024 (AB 2499) and 2025 (AB 406). AB 406 restores and recasts specific Labor Code sections that were deleted by last year’s AB 2499. These changes expanded employee protections for…
California DIR Releases Workplace Know Your Rights Notice; Western Growers Releases Alternative Notice
As discussed here, effective January 1, 2026, SB 294 requires all California employers to provide an annual Workplace Know Your Rights Notice (“Notice”) to employees outlining workplace rights and procedures. The Notice must be distributed to all employees by February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, in a language employees understand. The content of the…
California DIR Releases Informational Letter on New 2026 Wage and Hour Laws
The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR or Agency) has issued an informational letter detailing new wage and hour laws set to take effect in 2026. With compliance as a key priority in the DIR’s 2026 agenda, employers are advised to review the letter, which outlines what the Agency identifies as “some of the most significant state laws effective in…