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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 […]

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Posts By: Teresa McQueen

November, 2025
Understanding SB 553’s WVPP Training Requirements

California’s SB 553 introduced a significant new requirement for employers: the implementation of a comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP). The WVPP must develop, maintain, and train employees on procedures designed to recognize, prevent, and respond to workplace violence incidents.  One crucial aspect of SB 553 is its emphasis on employee training. Employers are required…

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CA Supreme Court to Decide the Fate of Non-Individual PAGA Claims

California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) allows employees to sue on behalf of themselves and others for Labor Code violations. In 2024, hard-fought reforms tightened standing requirements, requiring plaintiffs to show at least one Labor Code violation within the past year. Despite these changes, courts still face disputes over non-individual PAGA claims – representative actions…

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Cal/OSHA to Consider Revisions to Draft WPV Regulation

California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Board), is currently considering comments, feedback, suggestions and recommendations from California employers and labor representatives on the topic of further revisions to the state’s Workplace Violence Prevention Plan law (SB 553).   As discussed here, SB 533 requires the California Division of Occupational Safety and…

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Best Practices: California Rejects Unfair Arbitration Agreement

In the recent case of Gurganus v. IGS Solutions, LLC, (Gurganus) California once again reminds employers that to be enforceable; arbitration agreements must be both procedurally and substantively fair. The central issue in Gurganus was whether the arbitration agreement between Gurganus and her employer was enforceable. Specifically, the court examined if the agreement was unconscionable—both…

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California’s SB 59 Highlights Employee Medical Information Confidentiality 

Effective January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 59 (SB 59) reinforces California’s commitment to safeguarding employee privacy by imposing stricter requirements on employers to ensure that any medical information obtained in the course of employment is kept strictly confidential and used only for legitimate business purposes.  What Does it Mean  Maintaining confidentiality is mandatory under SB…

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Updated CPPA Regulations Impacting HR Compliance

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) – specifically automated decision-making technology (ADMT) - becomes increasingly integrated into human resources processes, new California compliance requirements are taking center stage. Tools such as resume screeners, performance scoring systems, and scheduling software now fall under California Privacy Protection Agency (the Agency) regulations designed to…

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Reminder: California’s Minimum Wage Increases January 1, 2026

In August 2025, the California Department of Finance reported a 2.49% rise in the U.S. CPI-W from July 2024 to June 2025. The increase prompted a statutory change to California’s minimum wage which will rise by the same percentage from $16.50 per hour to $16.90 per hour, effective January 1, 2026.   Consequently, this increase will also affect the minimum salary requirements for most…

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