As 2022 comes to a close, there are three things every business—large and small—should consider doing as part of their 2023 New Year’s resolutions.

Chantelle Egan, Director of MM’s Advice and Counsel Practice Group joined Melanie Naranjo, VP of People at Ethena, to provide the key to a successful company holiday party—mitigating risk without mitigating fun.

In the short time that the Viking River v. Moriana case has been out, a few trends are emerging in wage and hour lawsuits. The Viking River decision does not just impact California employers with active litigation, but also influences how employers should approach arbitration agreements going forward.

Earlier today, the California governor, state legislative leaders, and business and labor groups announced a deal to reform the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), which will change the law while avoiding the ballot measure scheduled for later this year.

Complaints can be scary, but employers must investigate them early to protect their organization’s integrity and follow through on their promise to provide a safe, harassment-free workplace.

Chantelle Egan, Lead Investigator for MM Investigations, joined Ethena’s VP of People, Melanie Naranjo, to do a deep dive on how to conduct an investigation and emerge with a stronger company culture.

The enforceability of arbitration agreements is one of the most litigated and appealed issues in employment law.  And now the appellate courts are at it again. On September 15, 2021, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Chamber of Commerce v. Bonta, issued an important ruling on the enforceability of arbitration agreements. You might have heard about a law passed last year called AB 51, which prohibited California employers from forcing employees to sign arbitration agreements as a condition of employment. The bill even went so far as to make it a misdemeanor for employers to use mandatory arbitration agreements.

On January 18, 2024, the California Supreme Court tackled a divergence in appellate opinions regarding whether trial courts have inherent authority to dismiss a PAGA claim based on “manageability.” The Court determined that although trial courts can utilize several methods to effectively manage PAGA claims, they do not have the authority to dismiss such cases outright if they are deemed to be too intricate or time-consuming.

The United States Supreme Court will soon hear a pivotal case impacting employers with non-exempt hourly employees. The case, Moriana v. Viking River Cruises, is set for oral argument on March 30, 2022, with a decision expected this summer.