California Governor Orders 100,000 State Workers to Get Back to the Office.

Governor Newsom has recently ordered approximately 108,000 state workers to return back to the office for at least four days out of the week. For many of these state workers, they have spent the better part of six years working from home. California was one of the first states to mandate a stay-at-home order, forcing workers to work from home beginning on March 19, 2020. Newsom’s recent order may signal a shift back to in-office work for private sector employees. For the past six years, employers have had time to contemplate which model works best for their businesses, and it will be interesting to see what employers decide to do in the coming years.

Employers Beware: Hiring Undocumented Workers Can be MORE Costly for Your Business.

San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings is a local Southern California company that was the subject of an undercover investigation and subsequent raid by ICE agents. This company regularly hired undocumented workers and was forced to forfeit nearly a quarter of a million dollars for doing so. The federal government is not just working off of anonymous tips or hunches. These federal agents are now posing as actual undocumented workers. Employers should take heed and be aware that hiring undocumented workers can be financially ruinous for their business.

Supreme Court: California Baker (who is a Devout Christian) Engaged in Discrimination When She Declined to Furnish a Cake for Same-Sex Couple’s Wedding

The U.S. Supreme Court recently affirmed a California appellate court’s ruling: Ms. Miller, a Christian woman who owns a bakery in California, engaged in discrimination by declining to furnish a “generic” cake for a same-sex wedding. This outcome should cause California business owners to pause and re-consider any policies they may have or considered having regarding their own rights to free speech and freedom of religion. California business owners do not have a broad right to free speech and freedom of religion.

California Fast Food Council Commands a Budget of $1.1 Million and Does Nothing For Most of 2025

The California Fast Food Council failed to hold meetings for most of 2025 and has yet to meet with all nine members present. Considering the Council’s massive budget of $1 Million and the fact that its decisions have had a major impact on California’s fast food employers, business owners, and employees, seeing this Council lay dormant for so long and fail to hold its required meetings is a massive disappointment.

Bar Owners and Nightclub Owners Are Now Required to Offer Drink Lids

As of July of 2025, bar owners and nightclub owners are now required to provide a lid with a customer’s drink upon request. Bar owners and nightclub owners are not required to have lids that fit all containers in which alcoholic beverages are served. However, bar owners and nightclub owners must be able to provide lids for at least one of the containers used on the premises. Again, the bars and nightclubs can charge customers a reasonable amount based on the wholesale price.

Bars, Business Owners, Employers, Liquor License, Nightclubs, RestaurantsKathleenFebruary 5, 2026bars, nightclub, drink cups with lids

Employers Must Provide Employees with Notices Regarding Immigration-Related Rights

On February 1, 2026, California employers will be required to provide each employee with written notices that inform the employee of his or her workplace rights, labor protections, and immigration-related rights. The new law places several additional obligations on the employers that all employers should become familiar with. Failure to comply with the requirements of the new law can be financially prohibitive for businesses because penalties increase exponentially per employee. For larger employers, the penalties alone could be ruinous.

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