Teresa McQueen is Corporate Counsel 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 updates […]
A recent California Court of Appeal ruling is a lesson learned regarding California Labor Code section 558.1 which allows an employee to bring a private right of action against “[a]ny employer or other person acting on behalf of an employer, who violates, or causes to be violated, any provision regulating minimum wages or hours and ...
Cal/OSHA is reminding all employers to protect outdoor workers from heat illness as excessive heat watches have been issued in many areas around California. The temperature is forecast to reach or exceed 110 degrees this week through September 5th including in areas around Sacramento, Fresno, San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial County. Excessive heat watches are ...
In an opinion with far reaching implications for employer handbook policies, the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) latest decision (Tesla, Inc.) deals with the issue of “lawfulness of workplace rules or policies that restrict the display of union insignia.” The Administrative Law Judge found that Tesla, Inc.’s dress code violated Section 7 of the National ...
As discussed here, Colorado’s HB22-1317 – also known as the Restrictive Employment Agreements Act (REAA) – became effective August 10, 2022. Placing significant limits on the enforceability of Colorado’s existing noncompetition and customer non-solicitation restrictions, the REAA removes preexisting management and executive personnel exceptions and modifies trade secrets exceptions so…
California law requires employers regularly employing 50 or more persons (or regularly receiving the services of 50 or more persons providing services pursuant to a contract) to provide prevention of abusive conduct as a component of its anti-harassment training and education requirements targeted at all employees. Abusive conduct means “conduct of an employer or employee ...
A recent Fourth Circuit[i] case puts into stark perspective how important it is for employers to “begin as you mean to go on…” especially when it comes to enforcing company policies and procedures. Employers must remember that the protections and defenses afforded them under established policies and practices can be put at risk where regular ...
AB 2188 – a statute prohibiting discrimination based on off-duty cannabis use – was signed into law on September 19, 2022. As of January 1, 2024 it will be unlawful, with certain exceptions, for an employer to employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment, or otherwise ...
With the swipe of a pen California joins Colorado and several other states in enacting pay transparency laws requiring employers to provide additional pay-related data to applicants and employees. Set to take effect January 1, 2023, SB 1162 will require employers to disclose additional pay-related data, including providing pay ranges on job postings and to ...
