Photo by Claire Anderson on Unsplash
With each new year, come new employment laws that all businesses should be aware of, however even more so for small businesses as they can easily violate them if they do not have access to a HR or an attorney. Here are some laws to be aware of:
Lactation Accommodation (AB 1976):Under current state law an employer must provide a location other than a toilet stall for an employee to express breast milk. The location must also be private and in close proximity to the employee’s work area. As a result, employers cannot use the bathroom as a designated space to express breast milk.
Salary History (AB 2282): This new law clears up ambiguities in last year’s AB 168, the ban on salary history inquiries and the requirement to provide pay scales to applicants. The Labor Code will now specify that employers may inquire about an applicant’s salary expectations for the position being applied for. External applicants (not current employees) are entitled to a pay scale upon request, but only after completing an initial interview.
Sexual Harassment Training (SB 1343): Current law requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide supervisors with two hours of sexual harassment training within six months of hire or promotion. Beginning January 1, 2020, all employers with five or more employees will be required to provide two hours of sexual harassment training to supervisors and one hour to nonsupervisorial employees within six months of hire or promotion, and every two years after that. The Department of Fair Employment and Housing will be required to provide an online training course that meets the new legal requirements.
