Overview

As an experienced employment lawyer with a concentration in Federal and State Occupational Safety and Health law, Alka Ramchandani-Raj assists employers with a wide range of complex situations with the workforce. Alka has extensive experience handling communicable disease inquiries for clients and she assisted with developing and leading Littler’s COVID-19 task force including developing the strategy behind responding to  inquiries and developing products for clients including safety and health and employment policies, return to work plans, and programs for compliance.

Focusing on workplace safety and health, Alka assists employers with pre-injury/illness preventative practices, including site inspections and policy development. Alka also assists employers who have experienced workplace injuries and accidents or are subject to a Federal or state OSHA inspection. She has experience managing catastrophic workplace accidents or fatalities. Alka is an experienced litigator and regularly represents employers in Occupational Safety and Health appeals, settlement conferences, and hearings. She also has broad experience assisting employers with workplace violence issues including obtaining temporary and permanent restraining orders to ensure the workplace is safe for employees. Alka also regularly attends advisory committee meetings as part of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute and submits comments to proposed regulations. She is a core member of the firm’s Occupational Safety and Health and Workplace Violence practice groups, and a leading member of Littler’s OSHA Woman’s Group.

She also has extensive experience with general employment advice and counsel and litigation matters relating to terminations, retaliation, whistleblowers complaints, discrimination, harassment, ADA accessibility and state agency complaint defense.

Alka is a popular speaker on OSHA and employment related legal issues and she regularly provides training sessions for clients and professional organizations on various topics, including:

  • Federal and California Occupational Safety and Health compliance and training
  • Managing performance in the workforce
  • California Leave and Wage and hour compliance
  • Harassment prevention
  • Workplace investigations
  • Workplace Violence Prevention
  • COVID-19 compliance and pandemic preparation

Alka is co-chair of the Workplace Safety & Health (OSHA/MSHA) Practice Group. She is also a member of the firm’s Robotic, Artificial Intelligence and Automation practice group, which is focused on providing representation and compliance assistance to employers in the robotic industry and employers integrating automation, AI, telepresence and robotics into their workplace.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Labor and Employment Section

State Bar of California

Member

Labor and Employment Section, OSHA Section

American Bar Association

Member

Narika Women’s Empowerment Group

May 2012 - November 2015

Lecturer of Law

University of California, Berkeley Law

August 2011 - June 2016

Recognition

Ranked, Occupational Safety and Health

Chambers USA

2023

Named, Rising Star

Super Lawyers

2019

Named, Inaugural Hot List

Lawyers of Color

2013

News, Analysis & Press

WPI Labor Day Report 2023

WPI Report

September 5, 2023

OSHA Proposes Changing Subpoena Power

SHRM Online

February 8, 2023

Employers left without guidance as COVID protocols wane

Business Insurance

October 4, 2022

WPI Labor Day Report 2022

WPI Report

September 5, 2022

Cal/OSHA Issues Updated FAQs

ASAP

May 11, 2022

Navigating vaccine mandates for employers

Reuters

December 23, 2021

DOL Vax-Or-Test Rule's Ascension To High Court 'Inevitable'

Law360 Employment Authority

November 15, 2021

Why employers are focusing on remote work, the election

Human Resource Executive

November 24, 2020

The Littler Employer Pulse Survey Report

Littler Report

November 18, 2020

Working from work

Vox (podcast)

September 23, 2020

Three Steps To Safely And Legally Reopen Stores'

Retail Touchpoints

June 22, 2020

When should employees come back to work?

Canadian HR Reporter

June 3, 2020

Top Employer Concerns Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Industry Today

April 21, 2020

These are employers’ top coronavirus-related concerns

Human Resource Executive

April 3, 2020

Littler COVID-19 Flash Survey Report

Littler Report

March 30, 2020

Your Coronavirus Workplace Questions Answered

CNN Business

March 10, 2020

Coronavirus: Employer Action Items

Insight

January 29, 2020

OSHA in 2015: What to Expect in Enforcement, Regulation and California

Bloomberg BNA Occupational Safety & Health Reporter

January 1, 2015

Speaking Engagements

California Employment Law Update: What’s in Store for 2024

Walnut Creek, CA

January 2024

OSHA Recordkeeping 300 Log Workshop

New York, NY

November 15, 2023

“I’ll Take Safety and Health for $500!” Critical Safety and Health Questions Answered for the Post-Pandemic World – So YOUR Organization Does Not End Up in JEOPARDY!

Littler Executive Employer Conference

May 5, 2022

The State of Vaccinations and Testing – A Continued Conundrum

Littler Executive Employer Conference

May 5, 2022

Late Night with Littler: A Healthcare Industry Roundtable

Littler Executive Employer Conference

May 4, 2022

What to Expect in Year Two of the Biden Administration: WPI’s Labor and Employment Outlook

February 23, 2022

The 6th Circuit Lifted the Federal OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) Stay - Now What?

December 22, 2021

The COVID Vaccine ETS - What You Need to Know About the New Standard

November 11, 2021

Clearing the Way to Compliance: Hindsight Is So 2020

October 7, 2021

The Biden Labor Agenda: What Lies Ahead

September 16, 2021

Revised COVID-19 Regulations - Why Can’t They Get it Straight!

June 25, 2021

Tips for Employers on How to Comply With California's Sweeping Emergency COVID-19 Regulation

December 3, 2020

2020 Virtual California Employer

November 19, 2020

COVID-19 Strategies for APAC-Based Companies with Employees in North America

March 26, 2020

COVID-19: Common Employer Questions Asked and Answered!

March 13, 2020

This is 2020 - New Regulations to Brighten Up the New Year

February 12, 2020

Walnut Creek Breakfast Briefing

Walnut Creek, CA

February 5, 2020

The Coronavirus: How Employers Can Manage the Outbreak

February 4, 2020

Transformation of California's Independent Contractor Laws

San Francisco, CA

December 3, 2019

2019 California Wildfires: What Employers Need to Know Before the Dry Season

August 12, 2019

Workplace Violence

Labor and Employment Webinar Series – Littler Mendelson and BB&T

April 9, 2019

What to Do When Cal/OSHA Comes Knocking

March 28, 2019

California OSHA Recordkeeping Training - Century City

Los Angeles, CA

February 27, 2019

Workplace Violence and the Active Shooter | Steps to Prepare for and Handle Difficult Safety Situations in the Workplace

February 20, 2019

California OSHA Hot Topics 2019: Regulatory Changes and Compliance Strategies for the New Year

November 13, 2018

What OSHA’s Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Program Regulations Mean for Hospitality Industry Employers

September 14, 2018

Education

  • J.D., John Marshall Law School, 2008
  • B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara

Languages

  • Hindi
  • Sindhi

Bar Admission

California

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California