Since the State-provided Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (Senate Bill 95) expired at the end of September 2021, and with the recent COVID-19 surge due to the Omicron variant, both employees and employers have wondered whether the Legislature and Governor would again grant additional paid sick leave to employees affected by COVID-19.

On September 27, 2021, Governor Newsom approved Senate Bill (SB) 606, which added and amended multiple sections of the Labor Code. SB 606 took effect January 1, 2022, and expanded the enforcement powers of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), with costly implications for employers that do not heed the new changes.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-35-20 on March 21, 2020 (Executive Order). The Executive Order extends the time by which a claim must be presented to a public entity under the Government Claims Act by 60 days.

Effective January 1, 2022, Senate Bill (SB) 331 makes it unlawful for employers to enter into agreements with employees in exchange for employees’ silence on information concerning claims or complaints of workplace discrimination or harassment, subject to certain exemptions.

On November 12, 2021, San Diego Superior Court Judge Cynthia Freeland ended a lawsuit filed against Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and other California state health officials.