[co-author: Leah Shepherd]

New California employment laws are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025. These laws address a variety of issues, including the state minimum wage, discrimination protections, paid time off, and employers’ messages about unionization.

Quick Hits

• California’s minimum wage will increase from $16.00 to $16.50 per hour.
• New legislation clarifies that employers may not discriminate against workers because they have a combination of protected characteristics or do not have a driver’s license.
• California employers will no longer be allowed to hold captive-audience meetings to discuss union organizing.

Minimum Wage

On January 1, 2025, California’s minimum wage will rise from $16.00 to $16.50 per hour for all employers, regardless of size. Some California cities have set a higher minimum wage rate with which employers must comply. The annual minimum salary for exempt employees will jump from $66,560 to $68,640 per year across the state.

Fast-food workers will continue to have their own minimum wage rate of $20.00 per hour for nonexempt employees and $83,200 annually for exempt employees.

Discrimination Law

Under California law, employers cannot discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status. Starting January 1, 2025, it will also be illegal to discriminate based on a...

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