New Employment Laws In California That Will Be Implemented in 2024

Employment regulations do more than only safeguard individual workers; they also support a healthy, stable economy. Workers are more engaged, productive, and devoted when they receive fair treatment and have their rights upheld. Because of this commitment, the workplace is more cheerful, which attracts talented employees and raises corporate morale.

California provides job opportunities to millions of its residents. The government of California is dedicated to safeguard both the employees and employers. In this blog post, we will explore the new employment laws that will be implemented in 2024.

Minimum Wage Increment

In 2024, the minimum wage for workers in California will increase by fifty cents to $16 from $15.50. Based on the state minimum wage, the minimum exempt salary for California workers will increase from $64,480 to $66,560.

The minimum wage in certain counties and cities already exceeds the state minimum wage. For instance, L.A. County is $16.90 while Los Angeles is $16.78. The minimum salary for franchisees with 60 units or more will be $20 per hour as of April 1, 2024.

Paid Sick Leave

Senate Bill 616 extends the minimum mandatory paid sick leave for full-time employees from three days (24 hours) to five days (40 hours). Companies that “front load” sick leave are required to offer five days (40 hours) at the start of the year.

Employers who use the accrual technique must additionally permit the carryover of accumulated sick days into the subsequent year. Employers may, however, restrict an employee’s annual usage of accumulated paid sick days to 40 hours. Additionally, the statute extends the accrual threshold from six to ten days.

Whistle-blower Protections

If an employee is penalized or fired within ninety days of engaging in specific protected acts, Senate Bill 497 establishes a presumption of retaliation. These consist of worker actions like:

• Reporting infractions related to wages and hours worked.
• Revelation to a law enforcement or government agency of what the employee reasonably believes to be knowledge about a state or federal statute, rule, or regulation that has been broken.
• Filing a report or making an effort to uphold your rights to equal pay.

Employers are required to refute the presumption by providing a different, valid, and non-retaliatory explanation for the unfavorable employment decision.

Reproductive Loss Leave

A “reproductive loss event” is defined as “the day or, for a multiple-day event, the final day of a failed adoption, failed surrogacy, miscarriage, stillbirth, or an unsuccessful assisted reproduction.”

Senate Bill 848 mandates that employers with five or more employees offer up to five days of unpaid leave after a “reproductive loss event.”

Employees may use other available leave, such as PTO, sick leave, etc., but the amount of time they can lose on reproductive leave is limited to 20 days in a calendar year.

Any information about the leave that is given to the employer must be kept private and not shared with anyone other than internal staff, legal counsel, or as mandated by law. Additionally, it is against the law to take revenge on someone for using their leave rights.

Off-duty Cannabis Use

Commencing on January 1, 2024, Assembly Bill 2188 prohibits companies from discriminating against workers for using cannabis when they are not on duty.

According to Senate Bill 700, it is illegal for employers to ask job candidates for information or disclosures about their past cannabis use. Additionally, unless the employer is legally allowed to consider that information or inquire about it, this bill forbids discrimination against applicants based on information about their former cannabis usage that was gathered from their criminal background.

Healthcare Workers Minimum Wage

Healthcare establishments in California are required by Senate Bill 525 to increase their minimum wage schedules as of June 1, 2024.

The type of healthcare facility as well as the size and nature of the business will determine the applicable minimum pay schedules, which range from $18 to $23 per hour.

In addition to the various minimum wage schedules, SB 525 mandates that healthcare workers who receive a salary get a monthly compensation equal to at least 150% of the minimum pay for healthcare workers or 200% of the appropriate state minimum wage, whichever is higher.

Way Forward

These laws are intended to protect the rights of the employees. The laws will be implemented in year 2024. They guarantee that companies put their employees’ welfare first by establishing minimum standards for pay, benefits, and working conditions.