As most California employers now know, California does not have just one minimum wage. Depending on your location and your industry, minimum wage can vary greatly in our lovely golden state. Some of these minimum wages increase in January, when the state minimum wage hikes. Others, like Los Angeles, Los Angeles County (unincorporated!), and other…
Category: Recent Developments
Workplace Know Your Rights Act Effective February 1, 2026 (SB 294)
There have been a few bills and new laws recently with this similar title, but this new law was purportedly in direct response to the recent uptick in ICE raids. And yet, California just has to be California, so there are some other topics tucked into this bill as well. The new law requires that…
Minimum Wage Rises in California and Many Jurisdictions Within the State, Effective January 1, 2026
As has been our new year tradition in California now for a decade, the state minimum wage is increasing at the start of the year. The CALIFORNIA minimum wage effective January 1, 2026, is now $16.90. When the state minimum wage increases, so does the salary threshold for most exempt employees, which is now $70,304….
New California Employment Laws for 2026
New Minimum Wage and Exempt Salary For 2026 The new statewide California minimum wage will be $16.90 as of January 1, 2026. Remember that if you are in a jurisdiction such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, or MANY other locals, your minimum wage will be HIGHER. I will do a complete location by…
Amazon Ruling Reminder to Pay for All Time Onboarding
On September 23, 2025, a California federal judge certified a class of Amazon workers alleging that they were not paid for time spent at new hire events. The judge also granted Amazon partial summary judgment on certain of the wage claims for unpaid time spent with I-9 forms, drug testing, and going through the background…
Misclassifying Independent Contractors, As Contracted Labor and Otherwise
The California Labor Commissioner recently cited the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC and three janitorial contractors more than $2 million for misclassifying 155 janitors as independent contractors at its Half Moon Bay hotel. The citations include $1.9 million in wages and penalties payable to the affected workers. The state found that Ritz-Carlton had hired out…
Proper Documentation Can Help Protect Your Business Against Costly Retaliation Jury Verdicts
Two recent court decisions provide valuable lessons for California employers. The first is a $27 million award in favor of a nurse who raised safety concerns against her employer, Dignity Health, and convinced a Los Angeles jury she was fired in retaliation. The second is an appellate decision invalidating an employer’s arbitration clause based on…
Time For the July 1 Wage Hikes and Maybe Other Changes
For the past several years, California has been increasing its minimum wage annually, on January 1. This year, minimum wage for the state grew to $16.50. Many municipalities, such as Oakland and San Diego, also hike their minimum wages effective the start of the year. However, many other cities, including the City of Los Angeles,…
How Will the New Trump Administration Impact Employers?
While we still have a few months until Donald J. Trump becomes the 47th President, he has already started announcing cabinet picks and signaling that he wants to make good on many of his campaign promises. We also can glean a few glimpses of his impending impact from Trump’s first stint in the White House. …