Photo of Kyndall Banales

Kyndall Banales defends employers against various employment claims, including discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour.

While attending law school, Kyndall served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Troy L. Nunley of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California and was an intern in the Special Prosecutions section at the California Department of Justice.

California continues to push pay transparency further into the mainstream of employment law. Employers with 15 or more employees now face more detailed requirements for posting wage ranges and reporting pay data. Penalties for missing or incomplete information have increased, and misunderstandings about these rules can lead to significant exposure.

Here is what every California

Upcoming Webinar: New Year, New Laws – What Oregon Employers Need to Know for 2026 – February 4, 2026
As a new year gets underway, gain a clear understanding of the employment law changes Oregon employers need to know. Join Stoel Rives labor and employment attorneys Melissa HealyMatt Tellam, and Megan Bradford

As Congress approaches a funding lapse resulting in a government shutdown, California employers should prepare for several indirect effects on workplace operations. Although a federal shutdown does not halt California’s employment laws, it does pause many federal agency functions, as discussed below.

Federal Enforcement Agencies

Most federal labor agencies will furlough staff and suspend routine

In Bradsbery v. Vicar Operating, Inc., a California Court of Appeal answered a question that many California employers may not have known even needed to be answered—whether California employees can prospectively waive their mandatory meal periods.  Given the almost universal use of such waivers by employers (based on the assumption that the waivers are