 Starting January 1, 2026, California workers will be protected by several new laws. In Part 1 of our 2026 employment law update, we discuss three new laws that are set to take effect in the new year.
SB 648 makes tips and gratuities the sole property of the employee. Tips cannot be deducted, withheld, or taken from workers who earn them. The law also creates a new enforcement mechanism for the California labor commissioner to prosecute tip and gratuity claims. Previously, while the labor commissioner could investigate wage theft, they lacked the authority to issue direct citations for tip violations. Effective January 1, 2026, SB 648 closes this gap, allowing the labor commissioner to issue citations and file civil actions against employers for unlawful tip practices. SB 513 expands the definition of “personnel records” to include training documentation. California law already requires employers to provide employees with their personnel files on request. Historically, however, employers have not disclosed records of safety certification or specialized software training, making it difficult for workers to prove their qualifications to future employers. Now, employers are required to give a copy of all education and training documentation to employees upon request. The documents must include the trainer’s name, the duration of the training, and the "core competencies" gained. SB 617 strengthens the California WARN Act by requiring employers to disclose whether they plan to coordinate transition services to workers during mass layoffs or relocations. In their 60-day notice of an impending layoff, employers must include detailed information about CalFresh, specific contact info for local job centers, and detailed information regarding any efforts to coordinate job placement with local workforce boards. Stay tuned for part 2 of our series, which will discuss additional new laws going into effect in 2026. Lauren Teukolsky has represented workers for over two decades, and her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. If you believe you have a wage-and-hour claim, click here to get in touch with our office.
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 The California Court of Appeal recently issued a significant decision in Lorenzo v. San Francisco Zen Center, ruling that the "ministerial exception" does not shield religious organizations from minimum wage lawsuits. The case involved Annette Lorenzo, a former staff member at the San Francisco Sōtō Zen Buddhist church. Lorenzo performed religious duties, such as meditation and temple cleaning, but she also performed commercial work, including cooking, dishwashing, and serving guests. After leaving the church in 2019, she filed a claim alleging the Zen Center had illegally underpaid her for this commercial work.
The Zen Center argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed under the ministerial exception, a rule that protects churches from lawsuits that interfere with religious doctrine or the hiring of ministers. The Court of Appeal disagreed. The court reasoned that unlike wrongful termination cases, wage-and-hour claims do not force the court to intervene in a church's faith or internal doctrine. Since the Zen Center could not prove that paying staff minimum wage interfered with its religious mission, the court ruled in Lorenzo’s favor, allowing her wage claim to move forward. Lauren Teukolsky has represented workers for over two decades and her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. She is Co-Chair of the Amicus Committee of the California Employment Lawyers Association, which submitted an amicus brief in favor of Lorenzo’s argument that the ministerial exception did not bar her claim for wage-and-hour violations. If you believe you have a wage-and-hour claim, click here to get in touch with our office.  Lauren Teukolsky is set to speak at the 2026 New Employment Law Practitioner Conference on Wage & Hour Basics. The virtual conference will take place on February 5-6, 2026 and is hosted by the California Lawyers Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section.
The conference is designed for new attorneys, professionals transitioning into labor or employment law, and HR practitioners. Attendees will receive practical and foundational guidance to help them confidently navigate the complexities of wage-and-hour rules and the broader field of employment law. Ms. Teukolsky has worked to protect employees’ rights for over two decades and speaks regularly at conferences on employment law. In the past year, Ms. Teukolsky spoke at the CLA Advanced Wage & Hour Conference on the Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”); a conference at the Berkeley Law School on sexual harassment; and a LACBA symposium on PAGA. Her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. To register for the CLA Conference on February 5-6, 2026, click here. If you believe you’ve been treated unlawfully in the workplace and want to get in touch with our office, click here. |
AuthorLauren Teukolsky is the founder and owner of Teukolsky Law, A Professional Corporation. Archives
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Teukolsky Law, A Professional Corporation, represents clients throughout California. Ms. Teukolsky is admitted to practice in the State of California, as well as the United States Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Northern District of California and Central District of California. Disclaimer.
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Copyright © 2017