California has enacted legislation that expands the list of crimes for which employees are entitled to take time off and allows employees to take time off to help family members who are the victims of such crimes. The law (Assembly Bill 2499) takes effect Jan.1, 2025.

California has enacted legislation that clarifies that the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits discrimination on the basis not just of individual protected traits, but also based on the combination of two or more protected traits. The clarification is a result of enactment of Senate Bill 1137 and is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

California has enacted legislation that will prohibit employers from requiring that employees use two weeks of accrued vacation time before they can access paid family leave benefits. The change is a result of enactment of Assembly Bill 2123 and takes effect Jan.  1, 2025.

The California Department of Industrial Relations has announced that the minimum wage for covered health care workers will go into effect Oct. 16, 2024. Originally, the minimum wage was supposed to take effect June 1, 2024, but it was delayed twice.

California has enacted legislation that prohibits employers from taking adverse action against employees because they refuse to attend an employer-sponsored mandatory meeting that communicates the employer’s opinion about political or religious matters. The changes were made by enactment of Senate Bill 399 and take effect Jan. 1, 2025.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has issued regulations that require employers to take certain steps to protect workers from heat illness if they have indoor workplaces where the temperature reaches 82° F. The regulations are effective immediately.