This article continues our Friday’s Five series highlighting the major new California employment laws taking effect in 2026. In recent weeks, we’ve covered several significant bills impacting employers — from expanded employee rights and new recordkeeping requirements to pay transparency updates and workplace enforcement changes.
This week, we turn to Assembly Bill 692 (Kalra) —
Grounds and Areas of Protection Under Ontario’s Human Rights Code — Including Contractual Protections
Ontario’s Human Rights Code (the “Code”) protects people from discrimination and harassment in specific areas of public life based on personal characteristics, known as “grounds.” The settings where these protections apply are called “areas.”
Knowing these protections—and how they extend to contracts—is essential for both employers
It would be convenient if this were only a prospective conversation about the leases you are about to sign. It isn’t. Tens of thousands of existing leases (many with long renewal terms) are for premises that are subject to greenhouse gas disclosure and reduction laws already on the books and now being phased into effect.
Governor Newsom just signed Senate Bill 617 into law on October 1, 2025, expanding California’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (Cal-WARN) Act. As a reminder, the WARN Act requires employers to give 60-days’ notice before a mass layoff, plant closure, or relocation. In addition, employers must notify employees and both state and local representatives. This
As of October 1, 2025, minimum wage rates have officially increased in several provinces. Employers should review their payroll practices to ensure they remain compliant with the new rates and related employment standards obligations.
New Minimum Wage Rates
The following provincial increases came into effect on October 1:
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Recyclable plastic bag
Governor Newsom just signed SB 642 into law, making big changes to California’s pay transparency and equal pay requirements. The law goes into effect January 1, 2026, and employers need to start preparing now.
For a full overview of the other employment bills signed and vetoed by the Governor impacting employers in 2026, you can
California’s 2025 legislative session has officially wrapped, and Governor Gavin Newsom has made his final decisions on hundreds of bills sent to his desk before the October 13 deadline. For California employers, this year’s legislative package delivers another wave of significant workplace changes—spanning wage equity, paid family leave, worker classification, and expanded employee rights across
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