- Restroom Facilities: Requires restroom facilities with one toilet and/or urinal and one sink, with a door that the user can lock from the inside to be designated as an all gender toilet facility. (AB 1732)
- Minimum Wage: As of January 1, 2017 employers with 26 or more employees will be required to pay at least $10.50 per hour. (SB 3)
- OSHA Reporting: The new rule (effective January 1, 2017) requires certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness data that they are already required to input on their OSHA on-site forms.
- Medical Marijuana: Because medical marijuana use has been expanded into 28 states as of 2017, OSHA has revised its employer restrictions for drug testing. The rule prohibits drug testing employees for reporting work-related injuries or illness without an objectively reasonable basis for doing so.
- Worker’s Compensation Claims Loss: The new formula required will place greater importance on the frequency of claims versus the severity of claims. For more about the new formula: http://www.wcirb.com/rating2017
- Wellness Programs at Work: Requires all wellness programs that obtain medical information about employees to be voluntary (whether in or outside of the health plan offered by the workplace).
- Pay Equality: The Equality Act of 2010 (also known as the Gender Pay Gap Information Act) set regulations for private and voluntary-sector employers and they will be effective in early 2017. They will require these private sector employers with 250 or more employees to publish prescribed information about their gender pay gap results.
- EEOC Data Collection: A notice has been issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that they will begin collecting data from all employers with 100 or more employees in 2017.
- I-9 Form: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that as of January 22, 2017, all employers will be required to use the new I-9 form to conduct employment eligibility information. You can find the form here: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9
- Domestic Violence Protection: Employers with 25 or more employees must provide employees written notice about their rights under the domestic violence protections under California law. The Labor Commissioner must develop a notice employers can use by July 1, 2017. Employers do not have to provide the notice until the Labor Commissioner posts the notice. (AB 2337)
- Arbitration Agreements: Employers should carefully review their arbitration agreements with California employees to ensure that the agreement does not have a choice of law provision that applies another state’s law to the agreement or require any claims be adjudicated outside of California. (SB 1241)
- California Retirement Plan: Employers with 100 or more employees with no retirement savings plan in effect must be enrolled within 12 months, and longer deadlines for employers with less employees (all enrolled within 36 months of January 1, 2017). (SB 1234)