Terminating an employee is one of the hardest things a business does, and it is almost certainly the most legally scrutinized decision you will make in the workplace. It is also one of the few decisions that triggers immediate legal obligations — the clock starts running the moment you end the relationship. Yet how to
Friday’s Five: California’s New Hiring-AI Rules Are Live — Checks to Run Before Your Next Hire
As of October 1, 2025, California’s Civil Rights Council regulations under FEHA hold employers liable for discrimination arising from the use of automated decision systems (ADS) in hiring. The use of AI or other automated tools does not shield employers from liability; decisions made through such systems are treated as the employer’s own actions.
From Hiring to Privacy: How AI Is Reshaping California Workplaces
AI is no longer just a buzzword—it’s actively transforming the workplace. Whether employers are aware of it or not, AI tools are being embedded into daily operations across industries. With California pushing forward with proposed regulations that could take effect as early as July 1, 2025, employers must begin understanding the implications now. Here are
Obesity May Qualify As a Disability Under California Law
In Cornell v. Berkeley Tennis Club, Plaintiff Ketryn Cornell alleged that her obesity should qualify as a disability under California law. Ketryn Cornell began working part-time for the Berkeley Tennis Club as a lifeguard and pool manager in 1997, while attending college at UC Berkeley. She was employed as a night manager and continued to
Pay Discrimination Cases Trending in California
A number of California companies, especially in the tech industry are facing increased scrutiny over equal pay issues in recent years. While these types of claims have been hard to have certified as a class action on the federal level, some claims under California’s recent Equal Pay Act are seeing success. Here are five reminders
Right to Discuss Pay, Salary History Bans, and Pay Equity Under California Law
Pay equity and transparency laws are being considered within the United States and by many countries. For example, internationally, Europe is reviewing a potential law requiring all wages to be published, Iceland requires companies to prove pay equity since 2018, and a similar law in Canada has passed for employers with 10 or more employees.
What are the essential functions of a job?
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation for an individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of the job unless it would cause an undue hardship on the employer. Common reasonable accommodations include changing job duties for the position, allowing a leave of absence for
Obesity can qualify as a disability under CA law – Cornell v. Berkeley Tennis Club
Plaintiff Ketryn Cornell began working part-time for the Berkeley Tennis Club as a lifeguard and pool manager in 1997, while attending college at UC Berkeley. She was employed as a night manager and continued to work at the Club after graduating from college in 2001. In 2011, she took on additional duties and began working
Five employer obligations to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace
Another Friday – another Friday’s Five. November 2017, a great time to have a refresher course on five obligations employers have under California law to prevent and correct any potential harassment and discrimination in the workplace:
1. Duty to prevent harassment
The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) requires employers to take “all reasonable steps
Five topics California’s sexual harassment training must include
Employers in California with 50 or more workers must provide at least two hours of sexual harassment 
prevention training to all supervisors. The requirements of what topics this training must include has changed since AB 1825 was passed requiring the training. For example, AB 2053 required as of January 2015 “prevention of abusive conduct as