California Assembly Bill (AB) 5 changed the employment landscape in California on January 1, 2020, by making it more difficult for employers to classify workers as independent contractors. Classifying workers as independent contractors allows employers to avoid paying taxes, offering benefits, and observing minimum wage and overtime laws and other employee legal mandates.
Job applicants and employees in California often hear — and maybe fear — the term “at-will employment.” This is generally accepted to mean, “I can be fired for no reason.” But is this true?
As of early March 2021, the United States has vaccinated 15.3% of its population against COVID-19, totaling 76,899,987 doses administered out of 96,402,490 doses distributed. As the nation attempts to return to “normal” as much as possible, the question looms: can an employer require employees to be vaccinated before returning to work?
California is usually at the forefront of employment and labor law changes, and 2021 is another banner year for the Golden State. Changes include minimum wage increases, COVID-19 workplace reporting requirements, time off for victims of crimes, leaves of absence, worker classifications, and more.
In California, employees enjoy wage protections that rise above those afforded by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938. State legislation and State Supreme Court rulings have raised the bar for employers in California, setting strict overtime pay standards and aggressively addressing “off the clock” work.
