2027 California employment law updates
Signed 2027 changes: a $17.40 minimum wage, AI workplace rules, bereavement leave for a designated person, stay-or-pay contracts, and higher pay-data penalties.
Law Updates
Plain-English summaries of published court decisions we think California workers should know about, plus a yearly roundup of statutory changes. These are not Workplace Rights Advocacy case results—for the firm’s verdicts, settlements, and appellate work, see Case Results.
Summaries are for general education only—not legal advice—and do not capture every nuance in the underlying opinions.
Voris v. Lampert (2019)
A 2019 California Supreme Court decision: unpaid wages are not a conversion claim, even when the worker wants to reach an individual behind the company.
Cochran v. Schwan's Home Service, Inc. (2014)
A published 2014 California Court of Appeal decision: if the job requires a personal cell phone, the employer must pay a reasonable part of the bill.
Cruz v. City of Hermosa Beach (2026)
A partially published California Court of Appeal decision: POBRA appeal rights do not cover an officer’s termination for failing a vaccination requirement imposed on all city employees.
McInerney v. Regents of the University of California (2026)
A published California Court of Appeal decision on the Fair Chance Act: courts will not second-guess an employer’s individualized assessment, and a shortened response window requires proof of harm.
Smith v. Burbank Unified School District (2026)
A published California Court of Appeal decision holding that indefinite unpaid leave can be a reasonable FEHA religious accommodation for an unvaccinated teacher during a COVID-19 mandate.
Civil Rights Department v. Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (2026)
A partially published California Court of Appeal decision (2026 WL 2654677): living and working out of state does not automatically stop a Civil Rights Department FEHA investigation.
Glick v. City of Los Angeles (2026)
A published California Court of Appeal decision restoring FEHA gender-discrimination and retaliation jury awards after an extreme remittitur labeled the harm “garden-variety.”
Morales v. Superior Court of San Diego County (2026)
A published California Court of Appeal writ decision: SDG&E could not force FEHA, CFRA, and public-policy wrongful termination claims into arbitration under a narrow agreement-only clause.
Saberin v. Alation, Inc. (2026)
A published California Court of Appeal decision about when FEHA and Labor Code protections for arrests without conviction apply to remote workers outside California.
Weiss v. The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. (2026)
The Ninth Circuit revived Title VII and FEHA religious-accommodation claims, holding that notice requires enough information to identify an actual religious conflict—not proof that the belief is valid.
Adelanto Elementary School District v. Krause (2026)
A published California Court of Appeal decision about workplace violence restraining orders—and why employers cannot contract away the right to protect workers from harassment.
Smith v. Superior Court of Alameda County (2026)
A published California Court of Appeal decision about FEHA race harassment claims and when many workers can join together in one lawsuit instead of filing separately.
Decloedt v. Radnet Management, Inc. (2026)
A published California Court of Appeal decision about FEHA, sexual orientation harassment, and when workers can refuse forced arbitration.
Flowers Foods, Inc. v. Brock (2026)
A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision about when workers can stay out of forced private arbitration and bring wage and employment claims in court instead.
Husband v. Target Corporation (2026)
A California Court of Appeal decision about FEHA and mental disability—when employers must know about a disabling condition before accommodation duties attach.