Once again burnishing its reputation as the most progressive U.S. state with respect to imposing workplace mandates on private sector employers, California recently wrapped up its 2022 legislative session by enacting a number of labor and employment bills that create or expand worker protections, including:
- Mandatory Pay Transparency and Expansion of Pay Data Reporting Criteria
- Wage Setting for Fast Food Workers
- Expansion of Family Leave To Care for Non-Relatives
- Expansion of Bereavement Leave
- Protection for Off-Duty Use of Cannabis
- Protection for Employees That Refuse To Stay or Report To Work During an Emergency
- Extension of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
- Extension of Employer Notice of Workplace COVID-19 Exposure or Outbreak
Because California tends to be a pacesetter for some other states that may follow up by enacting similar laws, we wanted to present you with a brief high-level summary of each of these laws both to show the broad scope of how California regulates the private sector workplace as well as to give you a heads up on changes you may be seeing considered in other states.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.