California employers face new obligations and expanded employee protections following the close of the Fall 2026 legislative season. This Alert outlines the new employment laws and compliance updates that California businesses must now prepare to implement in their policies and practices. Unless otherwise noted, the laws described below will take effect on January 1, 2027.
SB 1149 (Bereavement Leave for Designated Persons)
California Government Code section 12945.7 requires covered employers to permit eligible employees to take up to five days of unpaid, job-protected leave following the death of a covered family member, defined to include the employee’s spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, domestic partner, or parent-in-law. SB 1149 adds “designated person” to the list of individuals for whom an employee can take bereavement leave. Within SB 1149, a “designated person” is defined as someone related to the employee by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. An employee may identify the designated person at the time they request the leave, but the employer may limit the employee to one designated person per 12-month period for bereavement leave purposes. Employers should update their employee handbooks per SB 1149.
SB 947 (Human Review of Automated Discipline and Termination Decisions)
Effective July 1, 2027, SB 947 adds provisions to the Labor Code prohibiting employers from relying solely on an...
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