In abstract
Gov. Newsom and legislative Democrats pushed by way of a regulation that bans employers from requiring employees to attend ‘captive audience meetings.’ It was the newest victory for the labor motion on the state Capitol.
Beginning Jan. 1, California employers received’t have the ability to require employees to attend any conferences associated to their political or non secular views — or how their bosses really feel about unions.
That’s in line with a brand new regulation, Senate Invoice 399that is without doubt one of the most outstanding of the standard wave of latest office legal guidelines companies are anticipated to observe annually.
The laws got here because the Legislature’s Democratic supermajority sought to help a rising wave of unionization throughout California and the nation.
The regulation bans necessary office conferences through which the employer discusses their “opinion about religious or political matters,” the latter of which is outlined to incorporate the choice on whether or not to affix a union. Employees can’t be disciplined for refusing to attend such a gathering below SB 399.
The brand new regulation’s proponents, together with the California Labor Federation, say such conferences can intimidate employees out of exercising their proper to unionize, although retaliation from employers is already unlawful.
Enterprise teams such because the California Chamber of Commerce opposed the brand new regulation, arguing it will infringe on employers’ proper to free speech and talent to debate the results of legal guidelines or regulation on their industries. The regulation contains exceptions for workers, reminiscent of these working for political events, whose job contains speaking about politics.
California is becoming a member of 9 different largely Democratic states which have not too long ago banned these so-called captive viewers conferences. The regulation’s passage was a victory for the labor motion because it braces for the Trump administration subsequent month.
Underneath President Joe Biden, the Nationwide Labor Relations Board has additionally sought to curb the conferences, which for many years prior boards have typically allowed so long as employers aren’t threatening employees or withholding advantages from those that help a union.
In November, the board dominated in a case involving Amazon that captive-audience conferences violate the federal regulation guaranteeing employees the appropriate to unionize, however many labor consultants count on the choice to be overturned as soon as President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace. In that case, California’s ban on the conferences would nonetheless apply, although employers have been difficult different states’ captive viewers legal guidelines in courtroom.
Different new employment legal guidelines that go into impact Jan. 1 embody:
- A rise to the minimal wage, from $16 an hour to $16.50. Voters in November defeated an effort to additional improve the wage to $18however present regulation routinely adjusts the minimal wage throughout inflationary intervals.
- Employers may also be required to permit employees to make use of their break day extra flexibly. Underneath AB 2123they’ll now not power workers to make use of as a lot as two weeks of trip time earlier than taking paid household depart, the state program that offers employees some advantages for taking break day to take care of a new child youngster or sick member of the family.
- And below AB 2499 employees can use sick time to carry out jury obligation. That new regulation additionally expands the explanations employees can take unpaid, protected depart when they’re victims of crime.
Some modifications will apply to particular industries. Farmworkers will likely be allowed to make use of paid sick days to keep away from working outdoors in periods of wildfire smoke, excessive warmth or flooding. Performers and entertainers may have the appropriate to refuse studios and manufacturing corporations utilizing AI-generated “digital replicas” of their pictures or voices to breed or change their work. In July 2025, home employees who’re employed by house-cleaner or nanny companies to work in shoppers’ non-public properties will likely be topic for the primary time to office security legal guidelines.
