Takeaways

• Major employer obligations affected by new laws include pay reporting, worker rights and leave entitlements.
• Employers will have to review and update workplace policies and procedures to be compliant with the latest legislative changes.
• To ensure updates are properly implemented, employers should train management and HR teams on the new laws.

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Article

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed many bills passed in the 2025 legislative session into law that affect employers with employees in the Golden State. Below are highlights of what did and did not become law. Unless otherwise specified, all new bills take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Assembly Bill (AB) 288 expands worker rights and gives the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) new authority in private-sector settings under certain conditions. The law reaffirms workers’ rights to organize, join, and support labor organizations and mandates that any employer restriction must pass strict scrutiny. When federal protections under the National Labor Relations Act are absent, delayed, or ineffective, PERB can step in to handle representation petitions, unfair labor practice claims, and impose remedies or penalties. Once PERB’s jurisdiction attaches under AB 288, it continues to control the matter unless a court intervenes.

AB 1340 establishes the “Transportation Network Company Drivers Labor Relations Act,” granting certain gig drivers the right to organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted...

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