Many HR professionals in the Golden State have spent the last few years adapting to changes prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and complying with related workplace orders. So, they may have missed other key employment law developments.

"I find that I have forgotten employment law since 2020," said Brenda Kasper, SHRM-SCP, an attorney with Kasper & Frank in Carlsbad, Calif. She was speaking at the SHRM Employment Law & Compliance Conference in Washington, D.C., on March 29.

Kasper said she's been so focused on COVID-19, masking and vaccinations that she needed a refresher on what else happened in the California employment-law space since 2020—and she thought other HR professionals might need a refresher, too.

She noted that California employers generally should look to state law before federal—but when there are differences between federal, state and local law, the general rule is to apply the law most favorable to the employee.

Employers should ensure their policies and practices are compliant with key legal developments, she said, such as the following four wage and hour rulings from California courts.

1. Workers May Be Owed Pay for Call-In Shifts

In Ward v. Tilly's, Inc., a California appeals court held that employees in the state must be paid for certain "on-call" shifts if they are required to check in to see if they're needed for a scheduled shift but are told not to report to work. According to the court, calling in triggers the state's reporting time pay...

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