Teresa McQueen, Author at Western Growers Association Western Growers Association

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

Best Practices: Legislative Changes and Staying Ahead of The Curve

Each year, California’s legislative cycle brings a wave of new laws that directly impact how employers operate—and how HR leads compliance efforts. This year, 794 bills were signed into law, while 124 were vetoed. Of those, 70 bills are employment law related – a 30% decrease from the last legislative cycle, but still a substantial volume of change for employers to navigate. Even with…

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New DHS Rule Ends Automatic EAD Extensions

On October 29, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an interim final rule ending the practice of automatically extending employment authorization documents (EAD) for foreign nationals filing renewal applications in certain employment authorization categories. The new rule will impact foreign nationals lawfully working in the United States who file to renew their…

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Best Practices: Workplace Investigations

Many state and federal laws require an employer to investigate employee complaints in a timely manner (e.g., California Fair Employment & Housing Act, Title VII, ADA/ADAAA). Prompt and thorough investigations ensure accurate recollections and give the employer the opportunity to quickly take all appropriate corrective actions. The first steps taken by an employer in any investigation…

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CA Expands EDD Paid Family Leave Program Benefits

California’s newly signed SB 590 expands the state’s Employment Development Department’s (EDD) Paid Family Leave program to include replacement benefits for individuals who take time off of work to care for a seriously ill designated person. Existing EDD Paid Family Leave benefits provide temporary wage replacement benefits for workers who take time off for prescribed purposes, including…

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On the Horizon: New Pay Data Reporting Obligations

Recent legislative changes under California’s SB 464 are set to expand pay data reporting obligations for private employers with 100 or more employees. The state’s Civil Rights Department (CRD) currently requires employers to submit annual reports detailing employee numbers by race, ethnicity, and sex across 10 job categories. These reports also require pay data segmented by federal pay…

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New California Law Targets Worker Repayment Agreements

California’s AB 692, signed into law on October 13, 2025, and effective January 1, 2026, will make it unlawful to include in any employment contract, or to require a worker to execute as a condition of employment or a work relationship, a contract term that does any of the following: Requires the worker to pay an employer, training provider, or debt collector for a debt if the…

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California’s SB 642 Revises the State’s Equal Pay Act

Signed into law on October 8, 2025, California’s SB 642 updates the state’s existing Equal Pay Act (the Act) effective, January 1, 2026. Generally, the Act imposes varying requirements on employers to share pay-scale information in job postings and with applicants as requested. Changes under SB 642 include redefining the terms “pay scale,” “sex,” “wages,” and “wage rates,”…

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California’s New Workplace Know Your Rights Act: What Employers Need to Know

California’s SB 294, officially titled the Workplace Know Your Rights Act (the Act), was signed into law on October 12, 2025. The Act aims to ensure that California employees are fully informed of their rights in the workplace, particularly in areas involving labor protections, immigration-related inspections, union activity, and constitutional rights during law enforcement…

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Government Shutdown: E-Verify Is Back Online

After being off-line due to the ongoing government shutdown, the Department of Labor’s E-Verify system is once again active. The system was shuttered as of October 1, 2025, due to a lapse in government funding, and reactivated October 7, 2025. Employers are encouraged to begin processing backlogged cases as soon as practicable. As with previous shutdowns, employers will not be penalized…

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Employers Prepare: California Tightens Data Breach Notification Rules with SB 446

California employers are facing a significant update to their data privacy responsibilities. SB 446, recently signed into law and effective January 1, 2026, overhauls the state’s data breach notification requirements — imposing strict new deadlines, clearer standards, and added accountability for businesses that handle personal information. Historically, California’s data breach laws…

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New California Law Clarifies Immunity for Bias Mitigation Training

Signed into law on October 1, 2025, California’s SB 303, a new bill strengthening an employers’ ability to provide bias mitigation training, went into effect immediately by adding Section 12940.2 to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). SB 303’s key purpose is to make clear that an employee’s good-faith participation in bias mitigation training — including…

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California SB 617 Expands Cal-WARN Notification Requirements

The California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (Cal-WARN), governs employer actions regarding mass layoffs, relocations, and terminations. The statute prohibits an employer, with certain exceptions, from ordering a mass layoff, relocation, or termination at a covered establishment unless the employer provides 60-days' written notice to the employees, the Employment Development…

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