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Friday, May 22, 2026

New California Law Makes It Easier for Employees to Establish ... - JD Supra

On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill (SB) No. 497—also referred to as the Equal Pay and Anti-Retaliation Protection Act. SB 497 amends California Labor Code Sections 98.6, 1102.5, and 1197.5 to create a rebuttable presumption of retaliation if an employee is disciplined or discharged within ninety days of certain protected activity. By doing so, SB 497 makes it easier for employees to establish a prima facie case of retaliation.

Quick Hits

  • SB 497 creates a rebuttable presumption of retaliation if an employee is disciplined or discharged within ninety days of engaging in certain activity protected by the California Labor Code and California’s Equal Pay Act.
  • The presumption of retaliation makes it easier for an employee to establish a prima facie case of retaliation.
  • The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2024.

SB 497

Under the current law, a retaliation claim includes three stages of a shifting burden of proof: (1) the employee must establish a prima facie case of retaliation; (2) the employer must identify a legitimate, non-retaliatory reason for their act(s); and (3) the employee must prove that the employer’s non-retaliatory reason was a pretext for retaliation.

In order to establish a prima facie case of retaliation, an employee must demonstrate: (1) the employee engaged in protected activity; (2) the employer engaged in an adverse action against the employee; and (3) there was a causal nexus between the protected activity and the...



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