Current 2017 Legislative Summary

The California legislative session for 2017 is in full swing.  A significant number of employment bills have been introduced, including the following:

• AB 1008 – Prohibits employers from inquiring about criminal convictions until after a conditional offer of employment (Ban-the-Box);
• AB 168 – Precludes employers from inquiring about salary history during the hiring process;
• AB 5 – Requires employers to offer hours to existing non-exempt employees before hiring new employees;
• AB 569 – Prohibits employers from discriminating based on an employee’s reproductive health decisions;
• AB 353 and AB 1477 – Enables private employers to grant hiring preferences to veterans;
• AB 1174 – Enacts “right-to-work” legislation that prohibits compelled contributions to labor organizations;
• AB 281, AB 1429 and AB 1430 – Amends the Private Attorneys’ General Act (PAGA) to limit potential civil claims and recoverable damages;
• SB 63 – Requires employers with more than 20 employees to provide up to 12 workweeks of parental leave; and
• SB 62 – Expands the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to allow leave to care for grandparents, grandchildren, siblings and parents-in-law.

There is plenty of time for these bills to be amended from their current form, as all bills have until June 2, 2017, to pass the original house of origin.  Stay tuned for updates!

James C. Anderson, Esq., Triebsch & Frampton, APC

Disclaimer:  The information provided is just a summary for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.  Please review the actual laws, regulations, and cases to obtain all the latest updates, details, and implications and to reach your own conclusions as to what the law means.  Also seek legal and accounting advice as needed.