California Labor Laws have changed for 2017 and employers need to be aware of those changes.

In this article, we will be discussing many of the labor laws that are now in effect. Over the last three years, there have been many complex changes in the area of compliance.

In that time Cal-OSHA has changed their enforcement procedures and the fines have gone up 80% effective in November of 2016.

In 2016 there was a big shake-up with the California Paid Sick Leave Law. In April of 2016 employers became required to hand out their companies Sexual Harassment Policy, as a stand-alone document in addition to being written and addressed in the employee handbook.

So with that recap of 2016 let’s move forward and see what we have to address this year.

  • Minimum Wage By 2022 the California Minimum wage will be $15.00 per hour for companies that have more than 25 employees. Beginning January 1, the minimum wage will rise to $10.50 per hour, but only for companies with more than 25 employees. The good news is that for employers with 25 or fewer employees there will be no increase. However, in 2018 employers with 25 or less employee will have to raise their minimum wage to $10.50. With that being said, employers need to know that some cities have chosen to set their own standards when it comes to the minimum wage. San Diego minimum wage this year will be $11.50 and will remain at that rate for 2018, and then will increase again. The city of Berkeley will start the year off at 12.53 and then will raise the minimum wage in October to $13.75. The city of Los Angeles went to the $10.50 per hour last July and this July Los Angeles will raise the minimum wage to $12.00.
  • The Recreational Use Of Marijuana This law was passed in the November election.Proposition 64 allows California residents to grow a maximum of 6 plants for personal consumption. The law also allows people over the age of 21 to possess up to an ounce of Marijuana. The good news is that this law does not force employers to change their drug policies and can still maintain a zero tolerance. However, it would be a good idea for employers to update their employee handbook letting employees know that the passage of Proposition 64 does not change the companies drug policies.
    There are a couple of minors issues that we are not going into detail in this article. One of them is the part-time law requiring employers in San Jose to give more hours to part-time employees provided that those additional hours do not cause overtime pay. This law will take effect in March and will apply to employers who have 36 or more employees. And again, this law only applies to San Jose employers.

I am very happy that there are not that many new things for employers to have to deal with. I am finding that many employers are just now beginning to understand the California Paid Sick Leave Law that was passed last year.

Should you have any questions, we are only a phone call away and we love questions. We want employers to be able to enjoy and use the rights that they still have as employers.

We love what we do which is help employers to protect their rights by keeping employers compliant.

When it comes to California Labor Laws and Cal-OSHA Standards, if you think it is hard to comply, try explaining why you aren’t.