As legal professionals address labor law issues worldwide, they may find interesting changes happening in California. A recent development in the state has made it easier for employees to establish retaliation claims in the context of alleged Labor Code violations.
As reported by JD Supra, these updates appear to indicate a shift towards greater employee protective measures, potentially reshaping how both corporations and law firms engage with labor law strategy.
While legal professionals grapple with these changes, a similar shift has occurred in New York. On September 15, 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a significant law, impacting the enforceability of invention assignment provisions in employment agreements and likely affecting offer letters and Confidentiality, Information and Invention Assignment Agreements (CIIAAs) as well.
The NY law took effect immediately, joining a growing roster of states placing limits on invention assignment provisions, indicative of a broader changing landscape of employment law. The law has profound implications for how companies set their policies and how law firms advise their clients.
In this quickly-evolving environment, corporations and law firms are urged to stay informed about developments in labor law nationally. Navigating these changes successfully will require not just staying abreast of statutory adjustments but also foreseeing their potential impacts on various areas of legal practice.