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’Tis the Season for California’s New Employment Laws: Employer Considerations for 2026

By Vanessa C. Krumbein & Kevin T. May on January 5, 2026
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Buildings in Irvine
Buildings and luxury condos in Irvine California.

As California employers head into another year of compliance planning, the Golden State legislature has not slowed down. From higher wage thresholds and expanded pay-equity rules to sweeping changes affecting AI use, layoffs, and worker mobility, the coming year brings a slate of employment law updates that HR, legal, and business leaders may want to pay close attention to. Here’s a summary of notable changes coming in 2026 (and some that have already gone into effect).1

Click here to read the full GT Advisory.


1 Unless otherwise noted, the new laws will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

Photo of Vanessa C. Krumbein Vanessa C. Krumbein

Vanessa C. Krumbein focuses her practice on counseling employers, in-house counsel, and human resource professionals on a wide range of workplace issues, including employee performance and discipline, employment agreements, compliance with wage and hour laws, managing disability accommodation and leaves of absence, employee…

Vanessa C. Krumbein focuses her practice on counseling employers, in-house counsel, and human resource professionals on a wide range of workplace issues, including employee performance and discipline, employment agreements, compliance with wage and hour laws, managing disability accommodation and leaves of absence, employee classification, and workplace harassment investigations, and she works with companies to develop employee handbooks and appropriate personnel policies and procedures. Vanessa also has experience working on employment issues unique to clients in the media and entertainment sector.

Vanessa also represents employers in administrative proceedings and in state and federal court on a wide range of labor and employment matters, including claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, violations of privacy, violations of leave laws, wage and hour disputes, and other employment-related claims. Vanessa has experience litigating class actions, single-plaintiff, and multi-party civil cases.

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Kevin T. May

Kevin T. May represents public and private employers of all sizes through all stages of the employment litigation process. He represents clients in putative class action, single, and multiplaintiff lawsuits arising out of allegations related to misclassification, failure to pay wages and bonuses,

…

Kevin T. May represents public and private employers of all sizes through all stages of the employment litigation process. He represents clients in putative class action, single, and multiplaintiff lawsuits arising out of allegations related to misclassification, failure to pay wages and bonuses, meal and rest period violations, off-the-clock work, discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, and misappropriation of trade secrets.

Kevin proactively counsels clients on a range of employment laws including as California’s Labor Code, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). In addition to developing compliance policies and state-specific employee handbooks around these laws, Kevin also defends clients against claims of violation in state and federal courts and administrative agencies.

Kevin also counsels startups, Fortune 500 companies, and high-net-worth individuals on their national and state-specific employment needs, including COVID-19 issues. He utilizes his familiarity with the nuances of California’s labor laws to counsel clients looking to open-up new offices in the state while accounting for compliance.

In addition, Kevin has deep experience with trust and estate litigation, trust administration, probate, and conservatorship and guardianship proceedings.

Read more about Kevin T. MayKevin T.'s Linkedin Profile
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  • Posted in:
    Employment & Labor
  • Blog:
    GT L&E Blog
  • Organization:
    Greenberg Traurig, LLP
  • Article: View Original Source

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