New year, new laws: California employers must take heed of several new laws that will affect their businesses. For 2013, we have new laws concerning commission agreements, social media policies, pregnancy leave, pay stubs, personnel files and religious practices, along with new court decisions concerning employee arbitration, class actions and independent contractors.

On Thursday, Feb. 28, the Orange County Tech Alliance will present a timely overview of all these new developments, with practical guidance on the best practices for employers in California. Employment law experts Bruce May and Amy Williams from Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth will discuss all the hottest topics in employment law:

• Drafting Effective Commission Agreements:  A new California law requires all companies to have a written commission agreement with every commissioned employee. We will discuss how to draft and implement ironclad commission agreements that comply with the law and minimize claims for unearned commissions.
• Social Media Policies:  Employers face new limitations in regulating employee usage of social media site such as Facebook and Twitter. It is become more important than ever to have a sensible policy in this ever-expanding frontier. We will present the latest developments from the California Legislature and the National Labor Relations Board, with samples of model policies.
• Pregnancy Leave:  Last year, California added a requirement that employers must continue providing group medical coverage during pregnancy. This year, we have new regulations clarifying important details about pregnancy leave. 
• Pay Stubs:  Class action lawsuits over pay stubs are rampant, and California’s new law will only make it worse for weary employers. We will explain how to get your pay stubs perfect.
• Personnel Files:  Employees now have greater rights to access and copy their personnel files. We will educate you on this recurring issue.
• Religious Practices:  Religious discrimination has always been illegal, but how far must an employer go to accommodate religious dress and grooming in the workplace? We will show you how to revise your EEO policy and manage religious diversity.
• Arbitration and Class Actions:  Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court held that an employee arbitration agreement can prevent a class action lawsuit, and the California courts still are grappling with the issue. We will cover the latest courts decisions and share samples of model arbitration agreements.
• Independent Contractors:  The new healthcare law is driving more employers to use independent contractors instead of employees, but this can easily backfire. We will make you an expert on how best to use independent contractors.