{"id":10637,"date":"2025-10-14T14:35:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T19:35:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/?post_type=resources&#038;p=10637"},"modified":"2026-02-04T12:14:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T17:14:03","slug":"california-passes-several-new-employment-laws","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/california-passes-several-new-employment-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"California passes several new employment laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b5fc8583 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7fc3d43a wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8e1436f2 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">\n<p class=\"\">by <strong>Michael Cardman<\/strong>, Brightmine Senior Legal Editor<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/california-employment-law\/\">California<\/a> has enacted several new employment laws, including measures involving pay data reporting, paid family leave, civil penalties for wage theft and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Other bills were vetoed, including the closely watched <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1136\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AB 1136<\/a>, which would have provided workers five days of unpaid leave to attend immigration-related proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ca.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AB-1136-Veto.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> AB 1136 conflicts with other state leave laws and would have created confusion for employers and employees alike. However, he encouraged the bill&#8217;s author to try again next year with a bill that &#8220;takes a more surgical approach&#8221; to protecting workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pay-data-reporting\">Pay data reporting (SB 464)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Currently, California employers with 100 or more employees must submit annual pay data reports that include the number of employees by race, ethnicity and sex in each of 10 job categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Effective January 1, 2027, <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB464\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SB 464<\/a> will expand the job categories to the 23 major groups the federal government uses in its job-classification schema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">SB 464 also will require employers to collect and store employees&#8217; demographic information for pay data reports separately from their personnel records, starting January 1, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"paid-family-leave\">Expanded paid family leave (SB 590)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Effective July 1, 2028, <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB590\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SB 590<\/a> expands employee eligibility under California&#8217;s paid family leave law to include individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill designated person &#8211; defined as a blood relation or someone whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The current scope of the paid family leave law &#8211; which covers only an employee&#8217;s child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner &#8211; fails to account for &#8220;the changing structure of households in California and the realities of caring for each other,&#8221; according to a Senate analysis. It noted that California has a higher percentage of multigenerational households than average and that immigrant populations are more likely to live in multigenerational households.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">SB 590 also is intended to account for LGBTQ+ employees who often do not have any relationship with biological relatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The first time an employee requests paid family leave to care for a designated person, they will be required to identify the designated person and attest to how they are related by blood or to how their association is the equivalent of a family relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"civil-penalties-for-wage-theft\">Civil penalties for wage theft (SB 261)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Effective January 1, 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB261\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SB 261<\/a> will make employer liable for a civil penalty of up to three times the outstanding judgment amount if a final judgment from the nonpayment of wages remains unsatisfied after 180 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">&#8220;Over half of wage theft judgments go unpaid, with few consequences for law-breaking employers,&#8221; said the bill&#8217;s author, state Sen. Aisha Wahab. &#8220;SB 261 puts a stop to this by enforcing stronger penalties on employers who ignore wage theft judgments and making it easier for workers to collect what they&#8217;re owed.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"debt-repayment\">Debt repayment (AB 692)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">For employment contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB692\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AB 692<\/a> will prohibit so-called &#8220;stay-or-pay&#8221; contracts, under which employees are required to pay their employers, a training provider or a debt collector if they leave their job within a certain timeframe. There are exceptions for loan assistance programs, tuition repayment plans, apprenticeships and other circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"worker-outreach\">Worker outreach (SB 578)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Finally, <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB578\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SB 578<\/a> will establish the California Workplace Outreach Program to promote awareness of workplace protections &#8211; including but not limited to minimum wage, overtime, paid leave, retaliation, health and safety, excessive heat and discrimination protections. It will focus on industries with low wages and high rates of violations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column lnrs-hide-block-on-mobile is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--secondary-gray);border-left-width:2px;padding-left:10px;flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained wp-container-2 is-position-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-secondary-gray-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-db4c44a6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding-top:10px;padding-right:10px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:10px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4b827052 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p style=\"margin-bottom:5px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400\" class=\"\">In this resource:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#pay-data-reporting\">Pay data reporting (SB 464)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#paid-family-leave\">Expanded paid family leave (SB 590)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#civil-penalties-for-wage-theft\">Civil penalties for wage theft (SB 261)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#debt-repayment\">Debt repayment (AB 692)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#worker-outreach\">Worker outreach (SB 578)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-bleach-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a36fa716 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding-top:10px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Navigate HR complexity with confidence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">With Brightmine, you can build powerful people strategies, implement best practices and set your organization up for a brighter future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Learn how our tools, resources and automation can empower you and your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/us\/solutions\/?intcmp=cta|blog|solutions|learn-more\" style=\"border-radius:25px\">Learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"#top\">Go back to the top<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fcdab8bb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">About the author<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100px\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-thumbnail is-resized is-style-rounded\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/09\/18075013\/michael-cardman-150x150.webp\" alt=\"Michael Cardman, Senior Legal Editor at Brightmine\" class=\"wp-image-6356\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:100px;height:100px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/09\/18075013\/michael-cardman-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/09\/18075013\/michael-cardman-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/09\/18075013\/michael-cardman-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/09\/18075013\/michael-cardman.webp 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Michael Cardman<\/strong><br>Senior Legal Editor, Brightmine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Michael Cardman has more than 20 years of experience in publishing and has specialized in employment law for more than 15 years. As a member of the Brightmine editorial team, he focuses on wage and hour compliance, including minimum wage, overtime, employee classification, hours worked, independent contractors and child labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Virginia. Prior to joining Brightmine, he was the managing editor for Thompson Publishing Group&#8217;s library of HR publications. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing books, manuals and online tools covering a variety of topics such as wage and hour, employee leaves, employee benefits and compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Connect with Michael on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/michael-cardman-0609b025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-efae2095 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You may also be interested in&#8230;<\/h2>\n\n\n<section 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style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/29041440\/Learning-strategy-1200x627-1.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">HR News<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"title\" style=\"color: #000000\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/racially-discriminatory-dei\/\">Federal contractors must agree not to engage in \u201cracially discriminatory\u201d DEI<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #000000\">A new executive order requires federal contractors to certify they do not engage in racially discriminatory DEI practices, 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wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">See our extensive HR resources and expertise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">In an ever-changing regulatory environment, we have everything you need to stay in control and compliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-primary-white-color has-secondary-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/hrcenter.us.brightmine.com\/freetrial-login\/?loggedInUrl=%2Ffreetrial%2Fnew-user%2F&amp;registrationUrl=%2Ffreetrial%2Fnew-user%2F&amp;intcmp=bottom|cta-single|light|banner|hrcentreuk-freetrial|start-your-free-trial\" style=\"border-radius:100px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Start your free trial<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Review the latest employment laws passed in California, including measures involving pay data reporting, paid family leave, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":10638,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"wp-custom-template-new-resources","categories":[55],"tags":[],"topic":[68,63],"class_list":["post-10637","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hr-news","topic-employee-leaves","topic-employment-law-updates"],"_lnrs_read_more":"","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>California passes several new employment laws | Brightmine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"California has enacted several new employment laws, including measures involving pay data reporting, paid family leave, and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/california-passes-several-new-employment-laws\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"California passes several new employment laws | Brightmine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"California has enacted several new employment laws, including measures involving pay data reporting, paid family leave, and 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