Learn how to use AI meeting assistants responsibly. Explore privacy, consent, privilege, compliance, and litigation risks in workplace meetings.

The California Legislature’s 2025–2026 session ended with workplace-related artificial intelligence or automated technology in its crosshairs. If Governor Newsom signs this suite of bills, California employers may face a number of new obligations relating to AI-driven surveillance tools, automated decision systems, and other emerging workplace technologies.

Prepare for 2025 fiscal year-end SEC filings and 2026 shareholder meetings with Mintz’s insights on evolving disclosure requirements, AI and cybersecurity risks, climate reporting, proxy advisory updates, and FDA regulatory changes.

In further support of California’s longstanding opposition to employee mobility restrictions, on October 13, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom approved a measure targeting “Stay or Pay” contracts that seek employee financial repayment tied to employment terminations.  The final bill was originally intended to capture training repayment agreement provisions but bans broader stay or pay contracts.  Employers should carefully review the new law, eliminate any banned arrangements, and modify those that are exempted (but subject to the law’s strict exemption requirements).  We discuss the new law in more detail below. 

As we previously reported, on September 19, 2025, the California legislature sent SB 7, the “No Robo Bosses Act” to Governor Newsom for signature. On October 13, 2025, Governor Newsome vetoed the Act, explaining in a press release that while he shared concerns about the use of AI by employers, the bill “proposes overly broad restrictions on how employers may use [automated decision systems] tools.” 

On September 12, 2025, California lawmakers took a significant step forward in regulating the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the workplace by passing SB 7, a bill aptly referred to as the “No Robo Bosses” Act.  If Governor Newsom signs the bill into law—a decision he must make by September 30, 2025—SB 7 would take effect on January 1, 2026 and would have an immediate impact on the use of AI in the workplace, including prohibiting employers from relying solely on AI to make decisions regarding employee discipline or termination.  Below, we highlight the most salient aspects of SB 7 and make some recommendations for employers going forward, if Governor Newsom signs the bill into law. 
 

The U.S. Department of Justice issued a memorandum to all Federal Agencies providing guidance clarifying the application of Federal discrimination law to DEI programs and offering best practices for program compliance.  The memorandum, Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination (the “Guidance”), ostensibly focused on entities receiving federal funding, fleshes out what the Trump Administration meant when it referred to “illegal DEI” in a series of Executive Orders issued earlier this year, and is far more expansive than the guidance the EEOC/DOJ jointly issued back in March (which we discussed here).  While the DOJ confirmed that the Guidance is non-binding (e.g. the best practices it offers are not mandatory), employers, whether they do business with the federal government or not, should pay very close attention to its overall message. We summarize the guidance below. 

This in-depth webinar examines DOJ’s enforcement priorities and topics such as recent False Claims Act settlements (which go beyond health care fraud), enforcement risks and best practices, and whistleblower risks and protections from an employment law perspective.

Join Mintz attorneys Jen Rubin, Paul Huston, Kevin Kim, Evan Piercey, and Nikki Rivers for a timely and insightful webinar exploring the complex and often conflicting landscape of California employment law. Designed for employers navigating the challenges of employing individuals in California, this webinar will cover recent developments including multi-jurisdictional non-compete enforcement, the latest California employment law updates, evolving DEI mandates, and the growing tensions between federal and state regulations. We’ll also examine upcoming legislative changes, the expanding role of AI in the workplace, and new obligations under the California Privacy Protection Act. Whether you're based in California, have employees who are, or simply are impacted by its far-reaching legal standards, this webinar will equip you with the tools to stay compliant and competitive.

The Trump Administration issued its latest Executive Order entitled Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy (the “EO”) on April 23, 2025.  The EO focuses on “disparate impact” discrimination and is the latest in a string of orders impacting the workplace – the effects of which American workplaces are still digesting.