“More than 30 state employment laws take effect this year, according to an annual list put out by the California Chamber of Commerce.
The most significant by far is the paid sick leave law, which has received a lot of publicity here and elsewhere. AB1522 requires employers to provide paid sick leave to any employee who worked in California for 30 or more days within a year of hire. The accrual rate is at least one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
Employers can limit an employee’s use of paid sick leave to 24 hours or three days in each year of employment and can stop employees from accumulating more paid leave when they have 48 hours (six days) in their sick-leave bank. There is no exemption for small employers.
Accrual begins on the first day of employment or July 1, whichever is later, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations website (see its FAQ at www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/Paid_Sick_Leave.htm).
Here are some of the other 2015 laws that employment lawyers think will have the biggest impact. For the full list, see http://bit.ly/1BV9uQc. These laws took effect Jan. 1:
•AB1660 makes it illegal under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act to discriminate against workers because they have a driver’s license issued to undocumented persons who can submit proof of identity and California residency. The state began issuing these licenses, often referred to as “AB60 driver’s licenses†after the name of the bill that created them, on Jan. 1.
“The availability of driver’s licenses for undocumented workers is really going to be life changing for a lot of the workers that we serve,†said Diane Webb, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society Employment Law Center. “This takes the fear out of doing the normal things like dropping kids off at school, commuting to and from work and obtaining car insurance.â€
AB60 does not give undocumented immigrants a right to work, only to drive. Under federal law, employers still must require employees to submit proof of their identity and authorization to work in the United States.
A driver’s license is typically on the list of documents an employee could provide, along with a passport, birth certificate, Social Security card or green card.
The new law “makes it clear you cannot demand a driver’s license from an applicant or employee unless it is required by law or the demands of the job,†said Amy Jensen, partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson who represents employers.
When the job requires driving, the new law “is going to put employers in a real catch-22 situation,†Jensen said. State law says employers cannot discriminate because they have this form of identification, but what happens if the employer hires a person who has one?
Felicia Reid, an attorney with Hirschfeld Kraemer who represents employers, said her “immigration folks†say if an employee submits an AB60 driver’s license and another document that “appears valid on its face†and establishes the person’s right to…”
Originally posted  by SF Gate. Full article at : http://www.sfgate.com/business/networth/article/State-adds-more-than-30-employment-laws-6010610.php
