Workplace Legal Employment Lawyers, A Professional Law Corporation

09/01/2026

In California , "garden-variety" emotional distress can cost you $12.5 million.

In Glick v. City of Los Angeles, the California Court of Appeal reinstated a $13.1 million jury verdict for two LAPD officers who prevailed on gender-discrimination and retaliation claims. Of that total, $12.5 million was noneconomic damages for emotional distress, awarded without psychiatrists, treating providers, or authority witnesses.

California law imposes no fixed cap on emotional distress damages just because a plaintiff skips therapy or authority testimony. An employee's own account of career harm, family strain, and damage to their dignity can support a multi-million-dollar award. For employers, the message couldn't be clearer: the absence of medical records is an argument, not a guarantee, and “garden-variety” does not mean low value.

Don't wait for a lawsuit to start thinking about your defense. Find an overview of the case and practical takeaways for employers in our latest blog: https://workplacelegalpc.com/california-court-rejects-cap-on-damages-for-garden-variety-emotional-distress/

08/22/2026

SF Expands Paid Parental Leave Rights

On August 7, 2026, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed a new law cutting the amount of time a covered employee has to work for a covered employer before being eligible for paid parental leave under the City's Paid Parental Leve Ordinance ("PPLO"). Previously, a covered employee in San Francisco had to work for a covered employer for 180 days before being eligible for paid leave under the PPLO....

On August 7, 2026, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed an expansion of the City's paid parental leave ordinance ("PPLO").

08/21/2026

Workplace Legal is proud to announce that Jeffrey S. Sloan, Managing Shareholder, and Corina Gallardo, Counsel, have been recognized in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®️.

Jeffrey has been named to The Best Lawyers in America®️ 2027 for Employment Law - Management, a recognition he's earned annually since 2021.

Corina has been selected for Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®️ in America 2027 in both Labor and Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment.

Best Lawyers honors attorneys across the United States for professional excellence as determined by their peers, and recognition is a reflection of the dedication and skill that Jeffrey and Corina bring to their work.

To learn more about what we do, visit: https://workplacelegalpc.com/capabilities/

06/24/2026

Navigating AI Risks in Hiring: A Stakeholder Approach

Companies are managing different risks and worries when it comes to AI in hiring. According to a recent article in Fast Company magazine, when considering an AI system in hiring, the different stakeholders in a company have different concerns and risk tolerances. Human Resources HR leaders need confidence that AI will support, not replace, human judgment and that it will not create discriminatory outcomes....

For a company considering adding AI to their hiring, a recent Fast Company argues that addressing the concerns of all stakeholders is key.

06/22/2026

Using AI Can Waive Your Attorney-Client Privilege

Two recent cases explain the risks that arise when clients use AI to address legal issues....

Two recent cases, Heppner and Warner, explain the risk of using AI to address legal issues and answer legal questions.

06/02/2026

HR: An Asset or a Liability?

HR has become something of a punching bag lately. Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow made headlines last month when he told a workforce conference that his HR team was "creating problems that didn't exist" and that those problems disappeared once he let them go. The comment went viral, and a lot of executives quietly nodded along in agreement. In Kruitbosch v....

Many executives think HR is the problem, not the solution. Bolt CEO and Co-Founder Ryan Breslow said that out loud, and the internet exploded.

05/14/2026

Tech Companies to Employees: Playtime’s Over!

Here in the Bay Area, with Big Tech aggressively competing for the world’s best and brightest, employees have for years enjoyed extraordinary benefits – free chef-made meals in the company cafeteria, on-tap b**r and prosecco, commuter buses, pet insurance, surrogacy benefits, ping pong tables, gym memberships, laundry services, and even on-site nap pods, chiropractors, and acupuncturists…...

U.S. employers are scaling back on employee benefits as a result of economic uncertainty, global wars, and the need for cash to invest in AI.

05/13/2026

Ninth Circuit Clarifies Employers’ Obligation to Accommodate Religious Objections to Vaccines

The recent hantavirus outbreak linked to an international cruise ship has once again put infectious disease risk, and mandates aimed at mitigating that risk, in the public spotlight. While health officials emphasize that the risk to the general public remains extremely low, the outbreak has triggered a familiar legal question: how far must an employer go to accommodate workers’ religious beliefs and practices with respect to public health measures? ...

In Williams v. Legacy Health, the Ninth Circuit clarified how far employers must go to accommodate employees' religious beliefs.

02/10/2026

California Employers Must Now Give “Know Your Rights” Notice to All Employees

Effective February 1, 2026, all California employers are required to provide employees and new hires with a “stand-alone written notice” of key workplace rights. This new requirement is the result of SB 294, also known as the “Workplace Know Your Rights Act,” which we previously blogged about here. This new notice must be given to all new hires and all existing employees by February 1 of every year and must explain workers’ rights related to retaliation, workers’ compensation, protections against unfair immigration-related practices, the right to organize or act together with co-workers, and interactions with law enforcement at the workplace....

Effective February 1, 2026, all California employers must provide a written "Know Your Rights" notice to all employees.