NEWS AND UPDATES

by Sonya Goodwin Next week, in addition to giving heart-shaped chocolates to their employees on Valentine’s Day, employers who have required their current and former (who were employed after January 1, 2022) employees to sign noncompete agreements must provide them with written notice that the noncompete clause or agreement is void. Pursuant to Business & […]

by Sonya Goodwin As we start the new year, California employers should be aware of the new employment laws that went into effect on January 1, 2024.  This is also a good time for employers to update their Employee Handbooks to ensure they are in compliance with these new laws.  Here is a summary of […]

by Sonya Goodwin I was talking to a colleague recently, and he told me that he was surprised to receive a request by a mediator for a pre-mediation call on an upcoming mediation. I was just as shocked as he was, but my astonishment was because he then revealed that, in over 40 years of litigating, […]

by Sonya Goodwin Read Sonya Goodwin’s recent article that was published on Law360 about California employers’ obligations to reimburse employees for necessary business expenses when they work remotely. As discussed in the article, this obligation was reiterated in a recent California Court of Appeal decision, Thai v. International Business Machines Corp., which was brought by […]

by Sonya Goodwin Earlier this week, the California Supreme Court issued its much-anticipated decision in Adolph v. Uber Technologies, Inc. In a victory for plaintiffs, the Court held that a plaintiff whose individual Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) claims are compelled to arbitration still has standing to pursue representative PAGA claims in court.  The fight to […]

by Sonya Goodwin If you ask an employment mediator how many in-person mediations they have conducted since March 2020, chances are they can count the number on two hands. In fact, until recently, all of my mediations since the start of the pandemic had taken place over Zoom. I, like many other attorneys and mediators, had […]

by Gerald Sauer For the third time in our history, Sauer & Wagner LLP was featured in a law firm profile appearing in the Los Angeles Daily Journal.    The article highlights the addition of Sonya Goodwin, a specialist in employment law, to our firm a few years ago.  Ms. Goodwin provides counseling on all types of […]

by Sonya Goodwin Sauer & Wagner LLP is proud to announce that it is once again providing mediation services by Sonya Goodwin. Sonya Goodwin, a partner at S&W, specializes in resolving employment disputes, including single-plaintiff, multi-party, PAGA, and class actions. Sonya has practiced employment law for many years, representing numerous employees and employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, […]

by Sonya Goodwin As 2022 winds down, every California employer should start preparing for the new and revised employment laws that go into effect on January 1, 2023. Below is a summary of just a few of the highlights. Now is a great time to revise your employee handbooks if you haven’t done so already. Please reach out […]

by Gerald Sauer Sauer & Wagner LLP is celebrating its 25th anniversary. This milestone could not have been achieved without the devotion of our clients, colleagues, and friends. We thank each and every one of you for your support over the years!   The firm was founded on Law Day back on May 1, 1997. Law Day was established […]

by Sonya Goodwin Happy New Year! With the start of 2022 comes new and revised employment laws affecting California employers. Below is a summary of just a few of the highlights. As this is a non-exhaustive list, please reach out if you have any questions about how these new laws might affect your business. Cal-OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standards […]

by Sonya Goodwin Last week, the California Supreme Court ruled in Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC that California employers must pay meal period and rest break premiums at the same “regular rate” that applies to the payment of overtime.  Under California law, when a non-exempt employee is not provided with a fully compliant 30-minute […]

by Sonya Goodwin As predicted, Cal/OSHA approved revisions to the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”) on June 17, and Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order to make the amended ETS effective as soon as it is filed with the Secretary of State. A few of the changes are highlighted below: Mask Requirements: Vaccinated employees do not have […]

by Gerald Sauer and Sonya Goodwin In anticipation of California’s economy opening back up on June 15, we have received many questions about how to welcome workers back into the office and what the current guidance is on COVID-19 related issues. While the guidance is ever changing, below are answers to some of the frequently asked […]

by Gerald Sauer and Sonya Goodwin Supplemental Sick Leave Bill Governor Newsom signed SB 95 on March 19 which requires an additional 80 hours of paid sick leave, retroactive to January 1, 2021, for employees who work for public or private employers with more than 25 employees.  Employees are entitled to leave for the following reasons:  […]

by Gregory Barchie The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has brought jury trials in California to a standstill. As a result, the number of criminal and civil cases on the courts’ dockets continues to grow exponentially. Since criminal jury trials have priority, civil jury trials will be forced to take a back seat for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, […]

by Sonya Goodwin We are now six months into the pandemic and various social distancing orders, and in that time, the California legislature has passed quite a few employment laws, some of which are COVID-related.  Below is a summary of these new laws and amendments to current laws.  COVID-19 Reporting Requirements for Employers Under AB […]

by Sonya Goodwin As the economy has started to open back up, employers of all kinds should have a return to work plan in place to prepare for the inevitable return of employees to the workplace. Here are just some tips on how to plan for that return: Communicate, communicate, communicate Many people are experiencing heightened […]

by Gerald Sauer On the 23rd anniversary of its founding, Sauer & Wagner LLP is pleased to announce the promotion of Gregory Barchie, Amir Torkamani and Sonya Goodwin to Partner.   Gregory Barchie has substantially litigated commercial, entertainment, real estate, employment, and intellectual property disputes in federal and state courts and in private arbitrations. Greg joined […]

by Sonya Goodwin Planning for the Coronavirus in the Workplace With the recent news that there are now Coronavirus cases coast to coast, how to avoid getting infected is undoubtedly on everyone’s mind.  Employers and employees alike are battling how to deal with the Coronavirus in the workplace, from how to avoid infection, to how […]

by Gerald Sauer Earlier this month, a District Court judge issued a preliminary injunction on the enforcement of Assembly Bill 51 (“AB 51”), the new law that prohibits mandatory arbitration agreements in the employment context.   The business groups that filed suit against the bill argued that it was preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) […]

by Gerald Sauer The new year has brought with it many changes in the law that affect employers and employees in California.  One of those laws, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), became effective January 1, 2020 and will be enforced starting July 1, 2020.  The law, enacted in 2018, requires for-profit businesses (including most […]

by Gerald Sauer Last Friday, a federal judge ordered that the temporary restraining order precluding the State of California from enforcing Assembly Bill 51 (“AB 51”), the new law that prohibits mandatory arbitration agreements in the employment context, shall remain in place for now.  The judge initially granted a temporary restraining order on December 30, […]