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Employment Law Update 2026: Staying Ahead of the Curve

Thursday, February 19, 2026

7:30 – 9:00 AM PST

Presenters: Bruce May and Ed Farrell

The new year brings new changes for employers in California as the courts and lawmakers continue to reshape the landscape. For 2026, cutting-edge issues include managing the risk of class action and PAGA claims, loan repayment agreements, Cal-WARN act notices, new workplace posters, and new equal pay reports.

At the OCTANE Annual Employment Law Update for 2026, employment lawyers Bruce May and Edward Farrell will present a timely and informative overview of these and other developments in employment law for 2026:

  • PAGA and Class Action Claims: The Legislature amended the California Labor Code Private Attorney Generals Act (PAGA) in June 2024, but PAGA and class action suits for wage and hour violations remain a major risk for every employer. We will discuss the best practices for minimizing wage and hour claims.
  • Employee Debt Repayment: AB 692 imposes sweeping new restrictions on employee agreements for repayment of “debts” to the employer, including limits on repayment of retention bonuses, educational assistance, and possibly recoupment of unearned advances under a commission plan.
  • New Workplace Poster on Workplace Legal Rights. SB 294 requires the Labor Commissioner to create a new workplace poster that summarizes legal rights of employees including Constitutional rights involved in immigration enforcement actions, unionizing rights, and workers compensation, which must be posted in just about every workplace in California.
  • Cal-WARN Plant Closing Notices: SB 617 imposes new requirements for notices of plant closings and mass layoffs under the California “mini-WARN Act,” including references to available support services for employees.
  • New Equal Pay Data Requirements: SB 464 expands the reporting requirements for companies with 100 or more employees under the Equal Pay Act, including bonuses and incentive pay in addition to base salary, mean and median rates of pay, and total hours worked.
  • New Rules on Use of AI in Personnel Administration: New regulations from the California Department of Civil Rights forbid the use of AI to make discriminatory decisions in personnel administration, but allow it to be used for skills assessment, targeted recruitment, screening resumes, and analyzing facial expression, word choice, and voice patterns in on-line interviews.
  • Personnel File Access: Under SB 13, employers must now include training records when producing copies of personnel files.
  • Tips: Congress just approved a tax deduction for up to $25,000 in tip income for workers who regularly and customarily receive tips, and California has implemented new rules that allow the Labor Commissioner to sue for unpaid tips, forbid credit card processing fees on tips, and requires payment of tips by the next payroll period.

Bruce May and Ed Farrell will provide expert analysis of each new law and practical guidance for assuring compliance.

Who Should Attend: Business owners and managers, HR professionals, and anyone who is interested in minimizing legal risk with employees.

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