Labor & Employment

Empowers the Teachers’ Retirement Board to determine an employer and membership for STRS. Sets a board-determined implementation date for annualized pay rate changes by July 1, 2027. Aligns Oct 15 and Apr 15 transfers and quarterly payments to next business day if weekend/holiday. Expands overpayment recovery to multiple parties with interest.

Establishes a new legal process for challenging Public Employment Relations Board decisions at Santa Clara VTA. Requires parties to file appeals within 30 days of a final PERB decision in the appropriate district court. Authorizes courts to enforce PERB decisions through writs of mandamus when parties fail to comply. Grants PERB authority to seek court enforcement if decisions remain unimplemented after the appeal period.

Establishes a time-limited amnesty for misclassification penalties if drivers are reclassified. Requires applications and settlements by January 1, 2029. Clarifies that vehicle ownership does not automatically make a worker an independent contractor. Allows enforcement actions if a contractor fails to comply with the settlement.

Raises minimum civil penalties for unlicensed contractor violations to deter unlicensed work. Establishes minimum penalties of at least $500 or $1,500 for other violations with inflation updates every five years. Increases the reserve fund target to approximately 12 months of annual expenditures and requires fees to fund it. Sets July 1, 2026 as the operative date for major penalties and related rule changes.

Exempts water corporation employees from standard meal break rules when covered by qualifying union agreements. Requires union contracts to include meal period rules, binding arbitration, and premium overtime rates. Mandates water utility workers earn at least 30% above minimum wage to qualify for the meal break exemption.

Makes technical changes to the naming provision of the Teachers' Retirement Law.

Establishes a new Essential Worker Commission to address workplace safety and legal status for undocumented workers. Requires creation of a legal work program for essential workers in California by January 2028. Creates a 16-member commission representing labor, health, business, and worker advocacy groups. Mandates review of workplace safety, wages, and labor rights for essential workers by July 2027.

Establishes confidentiality for elected officials' and candidates' residence address, phone, and email. Requires counties to add local officials within five days and withhold confidential data from lists. Allows opt-out with five business days to remove confidentiality; includes a 60-day move transition. Restricts disclosures to journalistic or governmental purposes with a formal request process.

Enhances retirement benefits for public safety employees by lowering retirement age from 57 to 55 starting January 2026. Allows employers and unions to negotiate employer contributions toward employee retirement costs after January 2026. Adjusts pension formulas to provide higher benefits at earlier retirement ages for safety personnel. Aligns pension compensation limits with federal standards while protecting existing retirement benefits.

Restricts employers from using surveillance tools in private employee areas like bathrooms and locker rooms. Allows workers to leave surveillance devices behind during breaks and off-duty hours with specific exceptions. Prohibits employers from requiring workers to implant devices that collect or transmit data. Imposes a $500 civil penalty per violation and protects workers from retaliation for exercising their rights.

Establishes a new framework for special additional compensation for subsequent injuries. Requires substantial evidence to prove prior partial disability and lists non-disabling conditions. Transfers special additional compensation payments to the DIR as trustee and creates an evaluator database. Imposes a five-year filing window and creates a dedicated revolving fund.

Establishes a right to wear a health mask in public places. Defines health mask and public place and scope across nine categories. Allows temporary removal for identification, essential functions, and emergencies. Provides no funding or dedicated enforcement provisions.

Authorizes Orange County to increase retirement board member compensation from $100 to $320 per meeting. Limits compensation increases to a maximum of five meetings per month for eligible board members. Requires the Board of Retirement to approve any compensation rate increases.

Requires private employers to disclose in job postings whether an advertised position is actually vacant. Mandates that vacancy disclosure statements must be clear, conspicuous, and written in legible font. Expands existing job posting transparency requirements enforced by the Labor Commissioner.

Requires contractors on CSU construction projects to use skilled and trained workers for all building trades work. Mandates contractors to provide enforceable commitments for using qualified workers at all subcontractor levels. Exempts contractors who participate in project labor agreements that ensure skilled workforce requirements. Takes effect for new project labor agreements starting January 1, 2026.

Revises the Labor Commissioner's process for investigating and resolving wage theft complaints with strict timelines. Creates a new Wage Recovery Fund funded by administrative fees of up to 30% on wage violation awards. Requires employers appealing decisions to post a bond equal to the full amount of wages and penalties owed. Strengthens enforcement by allowing property liens and mandating employer responses within 30 days.

Requires employers to provide 30-day notice before implementing workplace surveillance tools. Prohibits employers from using facial recognition or emotion-tracking technology in worker surveillance. Mandates employers to allow workers to access and correct their surveillance data within five business days. Imposes $500 civil penalties per violation and enables workers to pursue legal action for damages.

Changes prevailing wage rate updates for public works from quarterly to semiannual reviews starting July 2026. Establishes a 20-day window for contractors to challenge new wage rate determinations. Requires the labor director to issue final decisions on wage rate challenges within 20 days. Makes new wage rates effective 10 days after issuance until modified or rescinded.

Authorizes the Labor Commissioner to investigate and penalize employers who illegally withhold employee tips. Requires employers to pay credit card tips in full without deducting processing fees. Mandates payment of credit card tips by the next regular payday after customer authorization.

Defines pay scale as a good-faith estimate of the hire wage. Requires pay scales on request and in postings for all employers, including government. Expands defenses for wage disparities and extends claim windows. Empowers DLSE with penalties up to $10,000 per violation and a dedicated fund.

Requires utilities to compensate customers affected by planned power shutoffs during wildfire threats. Mandates detailed reporting to state regulators after each power shutoff event. Establishes fines for utilities that violate power shutoff protocols with penalties paid to affected customers. Ensures all penalty costs are paid by utility shareholders rather than passed to ratepayers.

Requires employers to provide expanded layoff notices with workforce development and food assistance resources. Mandates employers to specify within 30 days if they will coordinate job transition services. Requires employers to include functioning contact information and CalFresh program details in layoff notices. Maintains the existing 60-day advance notice requirement for mass layoffs and relocations.

Establishes minimum salaries for state attorneys and judges to match average public sector attorney pay. Requires annual salary surveys by March 1 to determine competitive pay rates across public agencies. Implements salary increases in three phases from 2026 to 2028, subject to budget approval. Prohibits any reduction in current salaries for state attorneys and administrative law judges.

Authorizes the Public Employment Relations Board to study how net-zero carbon initiatives impact public employees. Requires annual reports to the Legislature by October 15 on study findings and recommendations. Expands the Board's data collection authority to include environmental policy impacts on employment.

Expands direct contractor liability for wage debts on private projects; phased 2022–2026. Imposes health care expenditures and apprenticeship requirements on large housing developments. Requires monthly compliance reporting and imposes penalties for noncompliance. Allows use-by-right housing on faith or higher-ed lands if affordability and site criteria are met.