Employment & Labor in California

California is infamous for its worker-friendly laws, which provide for greater levels of protection and entitlement than those of other states or at the federal level. The Plaintiff’s Bar in California is also among the most active in the United States and employers there face a 42% higher chance of being sued by an employee than the national average.

New employers should be aware of the state’s increasing focus on the issue of equal pay, which has expanded to cover race and ethnicity, and will likely continue to expand to other protected classes. New employers in California should also be aware of increasing requirements at the local level, as major cities now have ordinances on minimum wage, paid sick leave, work scheduling and laws restricting pre-employment screening and inquiry (so-called ‘ban-the-box’).