In August, we sent out an e-alert - The Legislature and a PERB ALJ Gang Up on Local Agencies That Have Adopted "COIN" Transparency Measures - regarding SB 331, the so-called "Civic Reporting Openness in Negotiations Act." SB 331 was drafted at the behest of…
Poole v. Orange County Fire Authority (Aug. 24, 2015, S215300) ___ Cal.4th ___ [2015 WL 4998965] On August 24, 2015, the California Supreme Court issued a decision that validates the practice by many supervisors in the public sector of keeping informal "working files" as memory…
Upon return in August from its summer recess, the California Assembly will consider the so-called "Civic Reporting Openness in Negotiations Efficiency Act" (SB 331), which passed the Senate on May 22, 2015. The bill targets the growing trend of public agencies adopting COIN (Civic Openness…
On July 13, 2015, the Governor signed AB 304, a clean-up bill to the previously enacted AB 1522 - California Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (HWHF) of 2014. This e-alert summarizes some of the key points of this legislation. As originally enacted, HWHF provides employees…
County of San Luis Obispo v. San Luis Obispo Government Attorneys' Union, et al. (PERB Decision No. 2427-M; Case Nos. LA-CO-123-M & 124-M) On June 3, 2015, the Public Employment Relations Board issued a decision finding that two employee organizations representing attorneys employed by the…
On March 30, 2015, the Third Appellate District of the California Court of Appeal issued a published decision in Gallup v. Superior Court of Nevada County ruling that a plaintiff must exhaust the Labor Commissioner's administrative remedies before filing a whistleblower retaliation claim under Labor…
The investigatory authority of the EEOC is broad and, as many employers are painfully aware, includes the right to examine "any evidence of any person being investigated or proceeded against that relates to unlawful employment practices covered by [Title VII of the Civil Rights Act…
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND The County of San Diego (County) and the Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County (DSA) were parties to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that specified a 3% at 55 retirement benefit formula for all employees hired after a specific date.…
As we discussed in the September 22, 2014, issue of California Employment Law Letter (see "Be prepared for new paid sick leave law and more in 2015!"), the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill (AB) 2053, requiring employers to include antibullying ("abusive conduct") training as part…
Governor Brown has been busy signing new bills into law. These new laws are: AB 1443 (Skinner):Unpaid interns are protected under Harassment and Discrimination Laws AB 2053 (Gonzalez): Mandatory Supervisor Training on Harassment and Discrimination must now include education on work place bullying. AB 1522 (Gonzalez): …