New California laws will take effect on January 1 which will impact nursing mothers, hairstyle discrimination, minimum wage, and more. Make sure your place of business is in compliance.
SB 3 - Minimum Wage
Minimum wage will be $12/hour for businesses with 25 or less employees and $13/hour for larger companies.
AB 5 - Independent Contractors
Workers would be considered employees and not independent contractors if the employer controls the work, directs them in the course of their work or if the worker's job is part of a company's core business.
SB 188 - Hairstyles
Workplace and school discrimination is now expanded to include protection based on a person's natural hairstyle or hair texture; protected hairstyles include braids, twists and locks.
SB 142 - Lactation Accommodations
Requires companies to provide appropriate lactation accommodations that is close to the employee's work area, has electrical plugs and is free of intrusion.
AB 51 - Arbitration Agreements
Workers can't be forced into mandatory arbitration by an employer; the law bans mandatory arbitration agreements with employees. This law does not apply to agreements entered prior to January 1, 2020.
SB 1343 - Sexual Harassment
Requires businesses with at least five employees to provide sexual harassment training to its employees within six months of being hired, and every two years after that.
SB 83 - Paid Family Leave
Benefits under Paid Family Leave will increase from six weeks to eight weeks starting July 1, 2020.
For more information on the new laws, visit the CalChamber website
here
.
