Source: https://www.dwt.com/blogs/employment-labor-and-benefits/2017/10/new-california-law-raises-the-stakes-in-labor-comm
Timestamp: 2019-09-16 10:05:09
Document Index: 335170223

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 98', '§ 98', '§ 98', '§ 98', '§ 1102', '§ 1106']

New California Law Raises the Stakes in Labor Commissioner Investigations and Whistleblower Suits | Employment Advisor | Davis Wright Tremaine
Prior Version of Section 98.7
SB 306 primarily amends California Labor Code section 98.7 et seq. Section 98.7 authorizes the Labor Commissioner to investigate complaints of “any person who believes that he or she has been discharged or otherwise discriminated against in violation of any law under the jurisdiction of the Labor Commissioner.” Cal. Lab. Code § 98.7(a)(1). Many laws fall within the Labor Commissioner’s jurisdiction, and a full list is located here. Those laws include California's pay equity law, its whistleblower laws, and laws prohibiting employers from retaliating against employees who make wage-related and workplace health and safety complaints. The Labor Commissioner’s jurisdiction does not include discrimination complaints under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act for workplace harassment or non-pay-equity discrimination.
Labor Commissioner’s Expanded Ability to Pursue Injunctive Relief
SB 306 grants the Labor Commissioner broad injunctive relief powers. For both discrimination and retaliation complaints, the Labor Commissioner may seek a preliminary injunction during an investigation if the Labor Commissioner has “reasonable cause” to believe a violation has occurred. Cal. Lab. Code § 98.7(b)(2)(A). The law does not define “reasonable cause.” The new law also creates a more permissive injunction standard than a court would ordinarily apply to a private action in which a plaintiff seeks preliminary injunctive relief. See id. § 98.7(b)(2).
New Self-Executing Citation Process
Before SB 306, the Labor Commissioner needed to enforce its “determinations” in court. SB 306 now puts the burden on employers to vacate the Labor Commissioner’s findings.
New Sua Sponte Investigations
SB 306 also allows the Labor Commissioner to proceed with a retaliation investigation even without a formal complaint from an employee if the Labor Commissioner suspects retaliation during a hearing under Labor Code section 98 (for wage-related claims), during a field inspection pursuant to section 90.5, or in instances of certain suspected immigration-related threats. Cal. Lab. Code § 98.7(a)(2).
New Availability of Employee-Initiated Injunctions in Whistleblower Actions
SB 306 also adds Labor Code sections 1106.61 and 1106.62. These new sections permit an employee to directly seek a preliminary injunction in the Superior Court if the employee is prosecuting a civil or administrative complaint under California’s whistleblower protection law, Cal. Lab. Code § 1102.5. These new provisions generally incorporate the rules for retaliation-related injunctions sought by the Labor Commissioner under section 98.7. See Cal. Lab. Code § 1106.62.
The Labor Commissioner’s limited investigation and litigation resources may lessen some of SB 306’s impact. Nonetheless, the new provisions emphasize the need for employers to act carefully in dealing with claims that fall within the Labor Commissioner’s jurisdiction.