NFIB Webinar Talks PAGA Reform and Small Business

August 20, 2024

NFIB Webinar Talks PAGA Reform and Small Business

NFIB and other business groups have spent 20 years fighting one of the worst laws in state history, the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). What started out as an attempt to speed up the process employees could get their complaints against employers heard and resolved quickly instead turned into cash cow for lawyers that left little money for the workers. For small business owners, the law also turned into the equivalent of a late-night hold-up of a convenience store, the gun a frivolous but costly PAGA lawsuit. This year, an initiative headed for the November ballot sought to undo what lawyers had perverted upon the public. Seeing the writing on the wall, the legal industry agreed to some changes in the PAGA law in exchange for removing the ballot initiative. So, where do small businesses stand now? Elizabeth Milito, executive director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center, explains what the deal means for small businesses in the 40-minute below. Below it is a screen shot of the “Small Business Cure” slide from her presentation. The reforms:

Strengthens standing requirements for plaintiffs
Limits time for filing a claim to one year
Reduces penalty exposure
Expands cure, remediation, and early settlement opportunities
Applies to actions filed on or after June 19, 2024.

Milito is joined by NFIB California Policy Director Tim Taylor, who opens the webinar presentation with a brief history of “the bane of small businesses for two decades.” NFIB California State Director John Kabateck thanks NFIB members for staying with the fight for the reforms that have been a long time coming. Click the arrow below to listen to the webinar.