New Laws Burden Business With Unprecedented Costs

In the closing days of Governor Gray Davis’ adminis­tration, at least 10 new employment statutes came into effect. Some of these laws contain unprecedented expansion of the rights of employees and the tools used by lawyers who represent employees in court, including new requirements to provide health care, an aggressive pursuit of California Labor Code violations, and workers' compensation measures designed to reduce fraud. Littler reviews these laws, which will radically affect the California workplace for years to come.