The Workplace: a Podcast by CalChamber

Episode 226 - Current, Pending Legislations Affecting California Employers

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts and CalChamber Senior Policy Advocate Ashley Hoffman discuss pending employment-related legislation, including bills on CalChamber’s Affordability Agenda, in the California Legislature

Episode 225 - Employers, Don’t Overlook Your Annual Workplace Violence Prevention Obligations

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Labor and Employment General Counsel Bianca Saad and CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts discuss what employers are required to do annually to comply with general industry workplace violence prevention standards.

Episode 224 - Furloughs, Layoffs, Reducing Work Hours During Economic Uncertainty

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts, Senior Employment Law Counsel Erika Barbara and Employment Law Subject Matter Expert Vanessa Greene discuss employers’ questions about furloughs, layoffs and reducing employees’ work hours to manage workforces during times of economic uncertainty while still being able to conduct business.

Episode 223 - How Privacy Agency’s Proposed AI Regulations Would Affect California Businesses

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts, Covington & Burling LLP Partner Lindsey Tonsager and Covington & Burling LLP Associate Attorney Jayne Ponder discuss the California Privacy Protection Agency’s (CPPA) latest regulatory efforts on automated decision-making technology (ADMT), also known more broadly as artificial intelligence (AI).

 

Read more at https://advocacy.calchamber.com/2025/05/13/how-privacy-agencys-proposed-ai-regulations-would-affect-california-businesses/ .

Episode 222 - Recent Labor Law Helpline Questions

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts, Senior Employment Law Counsel Erika Barbara and Employment Law Subject Matter Expert Vanessa Greene discuss real employer questions from our Labor Law Helpline — including frequently asked questions and a few unusual ones.

Episode 221- Common Mistakes to Avoid With California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts and Senior Employment Law Counsel Erika Barbara cover common mistakes employers encounter when working with pregnant employees who request leave due to their pregnancy.

Episode 220 - What Supervisors Need to Know, Part II: The ‘Soft’ Skills

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts, Senior Employment Law Counsel Erika Barbara and Employment Law Subject Matter Expert Vanessa Greene cover the often-overlooked soft skills supervisors need to lead their teams successfully.

 

Read more at https://advocacy.calchamber.com/2025/03/25/what-supervisors-need-to-know-part-ii-the-soft-skills/ .

Episode 219 - What Supervisors Need to Know, Part I: ‘Hard’ Compliance Skills

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts, Senior Employment Law Counsel Erika Barbara and Employment Law Subject Matter Expert Vanessa Greene tackle what is often referred to as “hard” compliance skills necessary for supervisors to help maintain a liability-free workplace in California.

Episode 218 - Executive Orders and Their Impact on DEI

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber General Counsel of Labor and Employment, Bianca Saad and Associate General Counsel of Labor and Employment, Matthew Roberts are joined by Jonathan Mayes, CEO of Jonathan Mayes Consulting, to discuss some of the changes happening in the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) space following recent executive action from the White House.

Episode 217 - It’s All in the Handbook: Creating and Maintaining an Effective Company Resource

In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Associate General Counsel Matthew Roberts and CalChamber Employment Law Subject Matter Expert Vanessa Greene discuss the importance of a well-built and up-to-date employee handbook.