Before we carve turkeys, pass the stuffing, and head into a well-earned Thanksgiving break, it’s a good time to revisit how your business handles holidays to ensure you are paying your staff correctly.
Here are some frequently asked questions and ...
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Updates
What’s on the Horizon for 2026
Cook Brown held its annual Employment Law Update on November 19, 2025. As part of this update, Cook Brown attorneys discussed the following statutory changes signed into law this session. Unless otherwise noted, these measures will go into effect ...
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Labor Rights in a Non-Union Workplace
Many employers believe that labor rights under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) only apply in a unionized workplace or where union organizing is taking place. However, that is not the case. All employees, union and non-union, are ...
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Employers Must Make Efforts to Understand Minimum Wage Law to Avoid Liquidated Damages
The California Supreme Court recently held in Iloff v. LaPaille (2025) Cal.5th 551 that employers who claim good faith ignorance of minimum wage laws are still subject to liquidated damages. Employers now bear the burden to establish they made ...
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The “Safety Sensitive” Requirement – What Employers Need to Know Before Instituting Random Drug Testing
Random drug testing is generally only permitted in California for employees in “safety-sensitive” positions. However, the law does not clearly define the term “safety-sensitive” and no court has provided a black and white test to determine whether an ...
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Off-Duty Co-Worker Harassment Claim Found Viable Against Company
In the recent decision of Kruitbosch v. Bakersfield Recovery Services, Inc. (CA5 F087809 partial pub. 9/8/25), a California court held that, although sexual harassment by a co-worker outside the workplace was not “work-related,” the employer’s ...
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Court of Appeal Reaffirms California Businesses Need Not Grant Indefinite Medical Leave
Extended medical leave is challenging for California businesses to navigate, especially when there is no clear return to work date. California and federal law state that extended leave is sometimes necessary as a reasonable accommodation, but what if ...
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Off-the-Clock Cannabis Use in California: What Employers Need to Know Before Testing Employees
Since January 1, 2024, California law has protected employees and job applicants from discrimination based on their off-duty cannabis use. While employers can still enforce drug-free workplace policies, AB 2188 added Government Code section 12954 to ...
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