California Mid-Year Employment Law Updates

Since the beginning of this year, there have been several employment law updates in California. The changes reflect California’s ongoing commitment to advancing employee rights and ensuring fair labor practices. From increased minimum wages to new workplace safety requirements, the first half of 2024 introduced important legal updates. As we continue with the second half of 2024, it is vital for employees to stay current on legal updates that affect them. In this article, we share some reminders for employees to keep in mind to ensure their rights are protected.

1. Increased Minimum Wage for California Jurisdictions

At the beginning of the year, California’s minimum wage increased from $15.50 to $16.00 per hour. This means that workers in California cannot be paid less than $16 per hour. However, some industries have higher minimum wages, including the healthcare sector (discussed in this article) and the fast food industry. Also, some cities and counties have higher minimum wages. On July 1, 2024, several cities and counties across California increased their minimum wages. The following are a few local cities and counties that increased their minimum wage on July 1, 2024;

• Alameda – $17.00
• Berkeley – $18.67
• Emeryville – $19.36
• Fremont – $17.30
• Los Angeles – $17.28
• Malibu – $17.27
• Pasadena – $17.50
• Santa Monica – $17.27

Click here for a complete list of the minimum wages of the cities and counties across California.

2. Senate Bill (SB 525)

On July 1, 2024, Senate Bill (SB) 525 established five separate minimum wage increase schedules for healthcare workers. Now, covered employees of healthcare facilities must earn a minimum of $23 per hour. Workers will reach a minimum wage of $25 per hour, with the amount set to increase incrementally through July 1, 2026. Covered employees of hospitals must earn a minimum of $18 per hour, and the amount will increase by 3.5% annually from July 1, 2026. Eligible clinic workers must be paid at least $21 per hour. That amount will increase to $25 annually through July 1, 2027. Workers of skilled nursing facilities must be paid no less than $21 per hour, and the amount will increase to $25 incrementally through July 1, 2027. Finally, individuals working in all other facilities must be paid at least $21 per hour, and the amount will increase to $25 incrementally through July 1, 2028.

3. Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

July 1, 2024, was the deadline for California workers to adopt a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan that includes procedures to identify workplace violence, implementation methods, procedures for communicating about violence with employees, and other requirements. Every year, covered employers are required to update and review their workplace violence prevention plan and provide an evaluation of the violent incidents that happened in their workplace prior.

These updates introduce new legal obligations for employers and enhance employee rights and protection. Employers must take time to ensure they are fulfilling their legal obligations, and employees should be keen to ensure employers obey labor laws. Employees have legal rights and options if an employer fails to adhere to the law.  

Contact a California Employment Lawyer

Contact a California employment lawyer if you have a question or need help with an employment law-related matter.