California lawmakers approve changes to law allowing workers to sue employers over labor violations
The California Legislature has approved bills that would amend a 20-year-old law allowing workers to sue their bosses over labor violations
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Legislature approved bills Thursday that would amend a 20-year-old law allowing workers to sue their bosses over labor violations and require employers found liable to pay a fine to the state.
The legislation would reform the Private Attorneys General Act, which took effect in 2004. It has come under scrutiny by business groups that say the law has been misused. Critics also say that litigating alleged violations under the law is often time-consuming and expensive.
The bills would lower the financial penalty for some employers and compel them to correct violations. They came out of a deal between Gov. Gavin Newsom, lawmakers, business groups and labor leaders to remove a ballot measure asking voters to repeal and replace the law.
Newsom, a Democrat, touted the deal in his State of the State address Tuesday, calling reforming the law a “complicated, thorny issue that for decades eluded compromise.”
“We accomplished something that was seemingly impossible,” he said. “It’s easier to address simple problems, but that’s not the California way.”
Newsom has said he will sign the bills. They would then take effect immediately.
The state Senate and Assembly passed the proposals without any lawmakers voting against them. One of the bills would give businesses with under 100 employees the right to correct violations and allow larger businesses to ask for an early evaluation of the alleged violation. The other bill would lower penalties for less serious violations of labor law and increase penalties for more serious ones.
Under the 2004 law, employers who
Read more on abcnews.go.com
