Thursday, September 25, 2025

Will Robo Bosses Be Banned?

California lawmakers have taken a significant step forward in regulating the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the workplace by passing Senate Bill 7, a bill aptly referred to as the “No Robo Bosses” Act. If Governor Newsom signs the bill into law—a decision he must make by September 30, 2025—SB 7 would take effect on January 1, 2026. It would have an immediate impact, including prohibiting employers from relying solely on AI to make decisions regarding employee discipline or termination. Below, we highlight the most salient aspects of SB 7 and provide recommendations for employers moving forward, should Governor Newsom sign the bill into law.

SB 7 uses the term “automated decision systems” or “ADS” to define AI tools as: [A]ny computational process derived from machine learning, statistical modeling, data analytics, or artificial intelligence that issues simplified output, including a score, classification, or recommendation, that is used to assist or replace human discretionary decision-making and materially impacts natural persons. Story

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California Labor Commissioner Awards $8.55 Million in Grants to Local Prosecutors

As part of the Workers’ Rights Enforcement Grant program established in 2023, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office has awarded $8.55 million in grants to 16 local prosecutors. The purpose of these grants is to help local governments enforce labor laws, including wage payment violations and other employment practices illegal under state law.

Usage of these grants is likely to result in an increased number of investigations into alleged Labor Code violations. The grants may enable local prosecutors’ offices to establish specialized labor law enforcement units and increase prosecutions of California employers who violate the law.

Grant recipients include the following:

• Los Angeles District Attorney — $750,000
• Fresno City Attorney — $750,000
• San Mateo District Attorney — $750,000
• Orange County District Attorney — $700,000
• San Francisco City Attorney — $600,000

Employers can avoid running afoul of the law by familiarizing themselves with the jurisdiction in which they conduct business. They should also respond to investigations by local law enforcement agents, just as they would to the Labor Commissioner’s office.

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Fall Protection Tops OSHA Citation Tables for 15th Year

• Fall Protection citations topped OSHA’s tally of most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2025, the agency said last week.
• Disclosing its preliminary data at the 2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, OSHA stated that the list highlights persistent compliance issues and underscores the need for more substantial safety efforts across various industries.
• Fiscal year 2025 marks the 15th consecutive year that Fall Protection-General Requirements tops the list, with 5,914 violations at the latest count. The federal government’s fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.
• Another related citation, Fall Protection–Training Requirements, ranked as the eighth-most cited, with 1,907 instances.

More

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Will California Hamper Arbitration in PAGA Employment Lawsuits?

In Leeper v. Shipt, the California Supreme Court will revisit the ongoing question of whether, and to what extent, employees can pursue litigation in court for violation of the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), Labor Code § 2698, et seq., despite signing valid and binding arbitration agreements. Story