Legal News and Updates

Sign on the dotted line: California employers get another win with the return of mandatory arbitration agreements
Arbitration agreements have been trending in the courts this past year, and California employers just received another win. Employers once again have the option of requiring employees and applicants to sign arbitration agreements as a condition of employment. On...

Jennifer Duggan is welcomed to the American Board of Trial Advocates
Duggan McHugh Law Corporation congratulates Senior Partner, Jennifer Duggan for being elected as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Admittance into ABOTA requires an attorney possess significant litigation experience, including having tried at...

Job posts: head over heels for these hiring practices
An essential first step in any new employerโemployee relationship is the job post itself. Job posts are the gateway to finding employees that best embody the companyโs objectives. First impressions are a significant part of how relationships begin, whether they be...

New pay disclosure, recordkeeping and reporting requirements affect some California employers
A number of new laws went into effect in 2023 affecting California employers, including the Pay Transparency Act (SB-1162). This law imposes new requirements for certain employers with regard to pay scale disclosures and pay reporting. The purpose of the law is to...

New employment laws for 2023
The new year brings a host of new labor and employment law obligations for employers. Below is a summary of those we believe to be most relevant to our clients, including: Minimum & Exempt Pay Increase Wage Transparency Expanded CFRA and PSL COVID The new name for...

2023 California minimum wage increase
While employers prepare for the multitude of new laws affecting them in 2023, they should be especially mindful of the increase to minimum wage. Effective January 1, California minimum wage will increase toย $15.50 per hour.ย Currently in 2022, minimum wage for...

From Illegal Conduct to Protected Activity: Cannabis Users Acquire Protected Status Under FEHA in 2024
Beginning January 1, 2024, employees who recreationally use cannabis (marijuana) outside of the workplace will be legally protected in doing so, and cannot be subject to employment actions merely because of their off-duty use of the drug. The new law, Assembly Bill...

Halloween costumes in the workplace (and how to avoid a haunting HR nightmare)ย
Halloween provides employers a great opportunity to boost morale and camaraderie in the workplace. If orchestrated correctly, employers and employees will have the opportunity to bond while participating in Halloween festivities. But employers must be thoughtful about...

COVID is not going away and neither is SPSL (and other COVID-19 related legislative developments)
As many employers know, California Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) for COVID-19 was set to expire on September 30, 2022. However, on September 29, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill No. 152 (AB 152), extending SPSL through December 31, 2022. ย AB 152 was an...

Fashion forward: The NLRB makes it more difficult for employers to restrict union insignia on uniforms
On August 29, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a 3-2 split decision in Tesla Inc., holding that any attempts by an employer to restrict an employeeโs display of union insignia will be found presumptively unlawful, absent โspecial circumstancesโ...