Blog: The California Workplace Advisor

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has formally withdrawn its defense of the nationwide non-compete ban, a signature rule of the Biden-era agency. The ban, intended to curb restrictive employment contracts and enhance worker mobility, faced immediate legal challenges—most notably from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business coalitions—which questioned the FTC’s authority to impose…

As widely reported in the media, Congress approved a massive increase in funding for immigration enforcement in the One “Big Beautiful Bill.” It’s estimated that the new funding approximately triples the immigration enforcement budget. You can find details at the website of the American Immigration Council, https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/big-beautiful-bill-immigration-border-security/. This increases funding for worksite enforcement, among other…

California employers scored an important win last week when the California Court of Appeal enforced an employee’s “standing” prospective meal period waiver. That decision, in Bradsbery v. Vicar Operating, Inc., confirmed that meal periods for shifts between five and six hours can be “waived by mutual consent” even in a prospective (i.e., forward-looking) waiver. Procedural…

We all know immigration enforcement is a top priority for the new Trump administration. What does this mean for employers and for colleges and universities? I-9 audits will skyrocket. ICE worksite enforcement actions will escalate. Schools, medical facilities, churches and courthouses no longer are protected from immigration enforcement. Work authorization may end abruptly, through no…

Last week, the Trump administration introduced a series of executive orders aimed at reducing the scope of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) initiatives within federal agencies and among private employers working with the government. These new orders focus on curtailing programs that the administration believes may lead to reverse discrimination or violate principles of merit-based…