Governor Gavin Newsom has signed more than twenty employment-related bills into California law since late June 2026, reshaping workplace rules across the state.
The legislation covers a wide range of employer obligations, including workplace artificial intelligence, employee surveillance, discrimination protections, and leave expansions.
Agricultural labour standards, pay equity enforcement, and immigration-related retaliation protections are also addressed among the newly signed measures.
The sweeping legislative action represents the substantial majority of employment-related bills passed during the 2025 to 2026 California legislative session.
Despite signing most bills, Newsom vetoed AB 1940, which would have added menopause and related conditions to the Fair Employment and Housing Act’s definition of sex.
The vetoed bill sought to include perimenopause, menopause, postmenopause, and related conditions under both the FEHA’s definition of sex and medical condition.
Among the signed bills, AB 1331 prohibits employers from using surveillance tools in workplace bathrooms or requiring employees to wear tracking devices while in those areas.
AB 1331 includes limited exceptions for safety cameras and court orders, and carries civil penalties of up to $500 per violation, taking effect on 1 January 2027.
AB 1697 pushes back the effective date of California’s anti-“stay or pay” provisions, with the new law taking effect on 1 January 2028 and exempting certain project labour agreement contracts.
AB 2563 establishes a uniform definition of sex discrimination across California codes, confirming it includes discrimination based on nonconformity with sex or gender stereotypes, effective 1 January 2027.
SB 1149 expands existing bereavement leave protections, allowing employees to designate one person per year to qualify for up to five days of unpaid, job-protected bereavement leave.
Additional signed legislation addresses automated decision systems and artificial intelligence use in employment, pay equity enforcement mechanisms, workplace violence prevention, and immigration-related employer retaliation.
The volume and breadth of the legislation signals continued aggressive policymaking from Sacramento on employment law, placing further compliance demands on businesses operating across California.