Rita Kanno Interviewed for San Diego Business Journal Special Report on Employment Law

San Diego, Calif. (May 24, 2019) – San Diego Partner Rita R. Kanno was recently interviewed by the San Diego Business Journal for its Special Report section focusing on employment law. Ms. Kanno, who is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Labor & Employment Practice, spoke to the publication about the challenges facing employers under today’s California employment laws.

“With California being one of the most employee-friendly states, employers really need to take a closer look at their hiring practices, and update their policies and procedures annually to conform with the ever-changing labor and employment law,” said Ms. Kanno. She also identified hot button topics for California employers, such as recreational marijuana use, the #MeToo movement, and LGBTQ discrimination.

Ms. Kanno was also asked what other major changes she anticipates in employment law, how employers can best prepare for them, and what training they should provide to ensure proper compliance with state and federal laws. She specifically highlighted the need for anti-harassment training related to workplace bullying.

“Employers are responsible for creating a safe working environment,” Ms. Kanno said. “Additional training on how to become an ‘upstander’ versus a bystander is a great way to prevent bullying in the workplace and encourage employees to come forward and report conflict.”

The interview closes with a look at recent developments in the classification of employees as independent contractors. Ms. Kanno cited the 2018 Dynamex Operations West v. Superior Court case, and the more recent Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising case, which retroactively applied the ABC test set forth in Dynamex.

The full interview can be found here (subscription required; new subscribers can receive a discount with the promo code SDBJ99).