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California has a rather extensive set of labor laws that are intended to safeguard employees against unethical company activities. When a dispute develops, California courts frequently rely on CA employment laws that offer greater protection for employees since they are often more stringent than federal laws.
What Are California Labor & Employment Laws?
California labor laws are laws that are unique to the State of California and deal with employee rights and employment protections. In general, every company having employees in this state must employ them following California labor laws, and these laws also protect anybody employed in this state. There are exclusions for specific types of workers, most commonly executive, professional, and administrative workers. Nevertheless, the exemption doesn’t imply the worker is free from all California labor laws; rather, it only applies to those related to the minimum wage, overtime compensation, rest breaks, and meal breaks.
While California labor laws include several laws, some are essential to remember since they are the most frequently referenced.
California FEHA
The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) of California, which prohibits discrimination in several contexts, is one such CA employment law. Employers with five or more workers can not discriminate against their workers on the grounds of the following:
- Age
- Race
- Colour
- Religion
- Ancestry
- National origin
- Disability
- Genetic information
- Medical condition
- Sex/gender
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity, gender expression
- Marital Status
- pregnancy
- Military or veteran status
FEHA also outlaws harassment as a type of discrimination, as well as retribution against victims of discrimination, those who aid victims of discrimination, or anybody who opposes or reports illegal discrimination.
In accordance with the FEHA, employers must also make reasonable accommodations for employees who need them for reasons related to pregnancy, religious practices, and disabilities. In the event of a conflict, it is the responsibility of the employer to justify their inability to do so.
California Equal Pay Laws
According to the California Equal Pay Act, employers are not allowed to pay certain employees less than those of the other sex “for substantially similar work, when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility, and performed under similar working conditions.” The law was meant to stop companies from paying males more than females, despite the fact that it is gender-neutral. The Equal Pay Act, as revised, now similarly guards against employees of different ethnicities and races receiving less pay as compared to their peers for essentially the same work. California Equal Pay Laws apply to employers in both the public and private sectors.
California Whistleblower Protections
A whistleblower is a person who alerts a law enforcement or government entity to a violation or alleged violation of the law, particularly an unsafe work environment.
California restricts employers from implementing any rules or procedures that would hinder or discourage workers from coming forward with information about misconduct. California Whistleblower Protection law also prohibits companies from discriminating against former or current employees who come forward with information about misconduct.
California Minimum Wage
In California, the minimum wage varies based on the size of the firm. For companies with 25 or fewer employees, California’s minimum wage for 2022 is $14 per hour. Companies having 26 or more staff members must pay $15 an hour. To ensure a level playing field, the minimum wage for all employers will rise to $15.50 in 2023.
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