California’s 2016 legislative session ended, once again, with a flurry of activity in the legislature and by Governor Jerry Brown, resulting in numerous new laws requiring employer action. The end-of-session bills were not the only ones enacted in 2016, however, that affect employers; several important laws were also enacted earlier in the year.
This year’s crop of new laws includes further modifications to California’s pay equity laws (AB 1676 and SB 1063), restrictions on the use of choice of law and choice of venue provisions in contracts with employees (SB 1241), amendments to the state’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) (SB 836), and increases to the state’s minimum wage (SB 3), among other changes.
This report covers the most notable developments from California’s 2016 legislative session that will require prompt employer action to ensure compliance.