Legislative Advisory: New California Employment Laws

Effective January 1, 2013, new employment laws will affect both public and private employers with employees working in California. While only a few of these new laws require immediate attention from most employers, the other changes should still be digested to foster a general awareness of California's stringent - and ever evolving - employment laws and regulations. Several proposed bills that were expected to pass were not signed into law, including AB 889, which would have required overtime pay and meal and rest break protections for domestic workers, and AB 1450, which would have prohibited "discrimination" based on unemployment status. Although Governor Jerry Brown vetoed some of the more controversial bills, employers should continue to expect a pro-employee climate in Sacramento.