Zaller Law Group

05/29/2026

California restaurant operators: here's what you need to know about SB 68 before July 1.

📋 What it requires
Any restaurant with 20+ locations worldwide — including just one in California — must disclose the top 9 allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame) on every physical and digital menu. QR codes in-venue are an accepted compliance method.

⚠️ The compliance gap is bigger than it looks
This isn't a labeling project — it's a data project. You need allergen information tracked through every sub-recipe and supplier formulation, refreshed every time a vendor or menu item changes.

🚨 Getting it wrong is worse than not doing it at all
An inaccurate disclosure creates both a regulatory violation AND personal injury exposure. The California Department of Public Health can issue fines and suspend operations. The plaintiffs' bar will follow.

📌 Even if you're under 20 units, pay attention
Starting July 1, every 20+ unit chain operating in California will have allergen info front and center. Operators who haven't built this capability will look like the outlier — and several states have similar laws already in motion.

The window is short. If you haven't started, now is the time. Learn more in our video here:

California’s new SB 68 allergen labeling law takes effect July 1, 2...

05/28/2026

Under California law, employers generally satisfy their obligation by providing employees with the opportunity to take a compliant meal break. However, permitting employees to voluntarily work through breaks can still create significant risk.

Best practice is to actively encourage and enforce compliant meal and rest break policies to reduce wage and hour exposure and avoid costly disputes over whether breaks were truly provided.

05/28/2026

⛳ The Zaller Law Group Summit is coming to Topgolf El Segundo.

We're bringing together California employers, HR leaders, and executives for an afternoon of networking, conversation, and friendly competition in a relaxed setting.

Guests will enjoy private Topgolf bays, a team-based tournament, catered food, an open bar, and raffle prizes — alongside the chance to connect with peers navigating the same workforce and compliance challenges.

We're proud to recognize our event sponsors, Harri and TipHaus, whose leadership in workforce management and hospitality technology helps make events like this possible.

📍 Topgolf El Segundo | 400 S. Pacific Coast Highway
🍸 Open Bar
🍴 Catered Food
⛳ Team-Based Tournament
🎟️ Raffles & Giveaways
🤝 Networking with California Employers & HR Leaders

Whether you're a competitive golfer or coming just for the networking, the format is built for everyone.

Invite-only with limited capacity. Request an invitation: https://ow.ly/ZPrW50Z5klr

05/27/2026

We’re excited to welcome James Fagen to Zaller Law Group!

James brings more than two decades of high-level labor and employment experience advising California employers on complex workplace matters, including wage and hour compliance, workplace investigations, labor relations, discrimination and harassment claims, and collective bargaining.

Before joining the firm, James served in senior counsel and chief negotiator roles handling labor agreements covering tens of thousands of employees across California and the Western United States. His extensive experience on both the labor and management sides gives clients a unique strategic perspective on navigating today’s evolving workplace challenges.

James partners closely with employers, HR professionals, and executive teams to develop proactive compliance strategies, conduct workplace investigations, manage labor disputes, and minimize legal risk before issues escalate.

Please join us in welcoming James to the Zaller Law Group team!

05/20/2026

Most California employers saw the recent arbitration decision in O'Dell v. Aya Healthcare Services as a win.

And it is.

But here’s what’s getting overlooked:

The decision protects the structure of arbitration agreements— not flawed agreements.

Even after the new O’Dell decision in favor of employers, employers are still facing challenges based on:

• Fee provisions that shift too much cost to employees
• Venue terms that create unfair burdens
• Agreements that aren’t clearly presented or readable
• One-sided terms that lack mutuality

So while the ruling is helpful, it doesn’t fix underlying issues.

The real takeaway:

The strength of your arbitration program comes down to the details.

The employers in the best position right now aren’t just relying on the decision —
they’re using it as an opportunity to review and tighten their agreements.

If you haven’t taken a fresh look at your arbitration program recently, now is a good time. Learn more about the O'Dell v. Aya Healthcare Services decision here:

On April 1, 2026, the Ninth Circuit handed California employers a meaningful win in O’Dell v. Aya Healthcare Services, Inc., No. 25-1528. The court

05/14/2026

5 takeaways from last week's California scheduling masterclass

We had over 300 California employers, HR professionals, and attorneys register for our masterclass on scheduling. As I covered during the masterclass, most wage and hour claims I see don't trace back to bad intent — they trace back to scheduling decisions that looked routine at the time.
Five things California employers should be looking at:
1. Meal period timing, not just occurrence. A 30-minute break taken in the 6th hour can still be a violation. Most timekeeping systems flag missed breaks but not late ones.
2. Split shift premiums quietly accumulate. When an employee's schedule is broken into two segments separated by more than a meal period, premium pay can apply. Many operators miss this entirely.
3. Predictive scheduling is creeping in. Los Angeles already has a Fair Work Week ordinance for retail. Expect more cities to follow, as there is no statewide predictive scheduling requirement for all employers.
4. Recordkeeping has to survive a four-year look-back. If your payroll system retains 18 months, you have a problem before the first wage and hour claim arrives. A wage and hour claim under California law can have a statute of limitations going back four years.
5. Manager training is the cheapest reasonable step. A documented 30-minute training, one a month, is one of the strongest pieces of evidence under the 2024 PAGA reform.

Bottom line: The gap between a manageable wage and hour dispute and a seven-figure PAGA case is usually built shift by shift — long before anyone files anything.

We run these masterclasses monthly for California employers. If you'd like to be on the invite list for the next one, DM me.

05/13/2026

California employers: July 1, 2026 minimum wage increases in many local cities and counties are almost here — and compliance is more important than ever.

With local rates increasing across cities and counties such as Los Angeles County, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Malibu, and industry-specific wage requirements impacting hospitality and healthcare employers, businesses should be reviewing payroll practices now.

The stakes are even higher under California’s 2024 PAGA reform, where documented “reasonable steps” toward compliance can significantly reduce potential penalties. From updating wage notices and postings to auditing multi-jurisdiction work and tracking remote employees, proactive compliance is critical.

Our latest article breaks down:
✔️ New Southern California minimum wage rates
✔️ Hospitality and healthcare industry-specific increases
✔️ A 5-step employer compliance checklist
✔️ Key PAGA risk-reduction strategies

Read the full article here: https://www.californiaemploymentlawreport.com/2026/05/how-california-employers-can-prepare-for-the-july-1-2026-minimum-wage-increases/

05/08/2026

🚨 Minimum Wage Updates: What California Employers Need to Know for July 1, 2026

Many California cities and counties are implementing minimum wage increases this July — and the rules vary by jurisdiction.

Here’s a quick snapshot for Southern California:

📍 Los Angeles City – Increase coming
📍 Los Angeles County – Increase coming
📍 Pasadena – Increase coming
📍 West Hollywood – Hotel worker increases apply
📍 Santa Monica – Increase comming

For employers operating across multiple jurisdictions, compliance can become complicated quickly.

Different rates. Different rules. Different effective dates.

Now is the time to:

✔ Review pay rates across all locations
✔ Update payroll systems
✔ Ensure required postings and notices are current
✔ Train managers on jurisdiction-specific requirements

Staying ahead of these changes is key to avoiding costly wage and hour exposure.

Learn more here: https://www.californiaemploymentlawreport.com/2026/05/how-california-employers-can-prepare-for-the-july-1-2026-minimum-wage-increases/

05/06/2026

Deadline Approaching for California Employers:

The May 13 deadline for Pay Data Reporting is coming up fast.

If you haven’t started yet, now is the time.

This isn’t just a reporting requirement — it’s an area regulators are actively enforcing, and mistakes can create unnecessary risk.

Make sure you:

• Gather accurate payroll and demographic data
• Review classifications and pay groupings
• Confirm your reporting aligns with California requirements

Waiting until the last minute is where issues tend to happen.

Start now, stay ahead, and avoid unnecessary exposure.

05/05/2026

If your business charges mandatory fees, the details matter.

California law focuses on how a customer understands the fee—not just what you call it.

That means:

• Labels like “service charge” can trigger gratuity laws
• If customers think it’s for employees, it likely has to go to them
• Disclosures must be clear and shown before purchase
• Your accounting needs to match how the fee is described

This is where businesses run into trouble.

A strong setup requires alignment between:
✔ What you call the fee
✔ How you explain it
✔ How the money is actually used

If those don’t match, you’re exposed.

Now is a good time to take a closer look.
For a more detailed overview of mandatory fees and service charges in California, please refer to the following article: https://www.californiaemploymentlawreport.com/2026/04/fridays-five-mandatory-fees-and-service-charges-in-california-what-employers-should-know/