California Chamber of Commerce’s legal team, and other law firms identified 40 key employment-related laws enacted by the state of California that may affect day-to-day business operations in 2017 and beyond.
While most of this new legislation is well-defined, some bills can leave room for interpretation.
Among the most challenging issues for 2017 are raised by passage last month of Proposition 64, legalizing the adult recreational use of marijuana in California. This state law, which varies from Federal law and became effective Nov. 9, enables employers to keep, enact and enforce workplace policies regarding marijuana. Some new laws make small changes to parts of existing law, or may relate only to specific industries. This year many bills feature delayed or phased-in implementation. Even though a bill may have passed, changes can occur at any time.