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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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,”…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Best Practices: Tips For Stopping Harassing Conduct
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 in the…
Colorado Clarifies Limitations Period for Wage Claims
In the recent case, By the Rockies, LLC v. Perez, the Colorado Supreme Court clarified that the state’s statute of limitations for claims under the Minimum Wage Act is two years, extended to three years for a willful violation. The decision settles a split among the state’s courts and provides clarity for employers because the Minimum Wage Act is silent on the issue of…
Best Practices: Transforming Mindsets and Practices for Lasting Success
Highly productive workplace leaders have mastered the art of generating high-impact results within limited timeframes. For those in leadership roles, the ability to shift thought patterns, align actions with meaningful goals, and foster accountability is essential for driving performance and cultivating strong teams. Our thought patterns deeply influence how we perceive ourselves, our…
Cal/OSHA Continues to Remind Employers of Heat Illness Obligations
As California continues to experience higher than normal temperatures, Cal/OSHA reminds employers to protect outdoor and indoor workers from heat illness. The forecast sees highs reaching the upper 90s and above in the coming days. Bakersfield: 92-99° F Palmdale: 86-95° F Coachella: 97-104° F Redding: 87-98° F Fresno: 91-97° F Riverside: 90-97°…
Lessons from a Recent Harassment Case
A recent California case, Kruitbosch v. Bakersfield Recovery Service, Inc. (BRS), offers critical guidance regarding employer responsibilities under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The case centered on an employee, Steven Kruitbosch, who resigned after alleged offsite and off-hours sexual harassment by a coworker and subsequent inadequate and inappropriate responses from BRS’…
Best Practices: Developing an Effective Recruiting Process
The goal of effective recruiting is to find the right person for any job opening. Effective recruiting practices that consider the specific needs of the organization with an eye toward limiting potential legal risk, saves time as well as money. Developing a step-by-step recruiting process allows an employer time to identify its workforce needs, decide how to attract and find the best…
Best Practices: AI Notetaking Tools in the Workplace
The slow institutional embrace of new tools isn’t a new phenomenon. Historically, employees have engaged in activities such as web browsing and conducting business via messaging apps, often prior to the introduction of company policies governing the use of such technology. And, while there are similarities with the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the distinction lies in the…
EEOC Settlement Highlights Employer’s Religious Accommodation Duties Under Title VII
A recent settlement by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) underscores the critical importance for employers to consistently uphold anti-discrimination protections for both employees and job applicants. A Washington state-based staffing agency has agreed to pay $217,500 to settle allegations that it violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) when it…
AI Bias in Hiring: What Employers Need to Know to Stay Compliant
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how employers recruit, screen, and hire workers. The lure of AI is its promise of efficiency, especially in the Human Resources space where hiring often spans diverse roles, seasonal needs, and regulatory complexity. But the reality of AI is that its use carries significant legal risks, especially when it comes to…