Wilson Turner Kosmo's October 2017 Legislative Report is now available detailing the new employment laws that have been enacted in California and will take effect in 2018. These include laws that will:

• Prohibit employers from inquiring about salary history during the hiring process (AB 168);
• Preclude employers from inquiring about an applicant’s conviction history until after a conditional offer of employment and impose new limitations upon and disclosure requirements for considering such convictions (AB 1008);
• Require employers with between 20 to 49 employees to provide up to 12 workweeks of “parental leave” (SB 63);
• Prohibit employers from allowing federal immigration agencies access to worksites unless certain conditions are met (AB 450);
• Require that the currently mandated sexual harassment training for supervisors be expanded to include gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation (SB 396);
• Expand the Labor Commissioner’s powers when investigating retaliation complaints, including allowing pre-determination injunctive relief (i.e., TRO’s) (SB 306); and
• Increase California’s minimum wage to $11.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees and to $10.50 per hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees.