Podcast: Why California Employers Face Many Changes in 2016

Hosted by: David Weisenfeld

California has long been a leader in employee protections and recent developments have done nothing to diminish that reputation. New laws expanding the state's equal pay statute, restricting E-Verify use and a flurry of minimum wage increases are some of the more notable changes that are sure to impact employers in 2016.

On this podcast, management-side attorney Anthony Oncidi discusses the most important laws from the past year affecting California employers and what they could mean going forward. Oncidi heads the Los Angeles office of Proskauer Rose and is a frequent commentator on breaking employment law issues.

Podcast: Why California Employers Face Many Changes in 2016

December 22, 2015

Oncidi calls the flurry of minimum wage increases in various California cities, "an arms race at the local level with significant implications for employers." Oncidi also notes that the state has expressly enacted retaliation protections against family members of whistleblowers.

Regarding the equal pay law, Oncidi says, "Rather than just equal work, substantially similar work is the concept that has been injected into the statute and that will be the battlefield for both employees and employers" in terms of whether something is substantially similar for which the same rate of pay should apply.

Key developments affecting arbitration, trade secrets and leaves of absence also are addressed, including a novel case pending before the California Supreme Court.

Additional resources

A California Employer's Guide to a Happy New Year