California

The New ‘Right To Disconnect’ Bill Continues The Push For Career-Life Balance

Published

2 years ago

April 13, 2024

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The New ‘Right To Disconnect’ Bill Continues The Push For Career-Life Balance

A new California bill would protect employees from after-hours messages from work.

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In a quest for work flexibility and work-life balance, five controversial trends—“coffee badging,” “shadow policies,” “quiet quitting,” “Chronoworking” and “NATO applying”—are afoot within the American workforce. These movements are natural segues into California’s groundbreaking “Right to Disconnect” bill, which further aims to redefine boundaries and enhance work-life balance, albeit amidst some executive resistance. If passed, the bill would make California the first state to legally protect employees from after-hour messages from work.

A Change Is Gonna Come

In the words of the old Sam Cooke song, “A Change is Gonna Come.” I reached out to Leapsome’s Luck Dookchitra, HR expert and VP of people to get an expert opinion on changes the law would bring. “As with any change, things will take time for people and companies to adjust to new habits and processes,” Dookchitra responded, noting that 74% of employees planning to leave their jobs cite poor work-life balance as a reason and how implementing this law will help employees achieve a better balance, boosting job satisfaction and retention.

“We know that stepping away from work and disconnecting helps replenish, recharge and re-motivate us, injecting new ideas and creativity into our work upon our return,” Dookchitra explains. “Never switching off—working after hours and on weekends—has the opposite effect and, ultimately, risks leading to burnout which will cost the individual, the team they’re a part of, and the company they work for a lot more.”

Dookchitra told me the underlying premise of the law is to provide employees with better health outcomes–alleviating stress and burnout which has become even more abundant following the last post-covid years and to rein in abusive employers and leaders who may be forcing workers to work beyond the clock, adding, “I imagine companies that already value flexibility and worker well-being will adapt readily to this law, regardless of state, and in fact, use it as an opportunity to clarify it’s practices, policies, and expectations.”

In my own digging, I found that, although the United States doesn’t have laws forbidding employers from contacting employees after work yet, the California bill isn’t the first efforts to try to stop companies from violating employees’ after-hours boundaries. It’s already the law in some countries. Employers can be in hot water for contacting employees after work hours in Portugal and France and that includes emails. In an effort to promote healthy work-life balance more countries are outlawing the practice of companies violating employee private boundaries after the workday is done. A similar bill has been debated in New York City to make it illegal to force employees to answer work communications outside of work hours.

Should After-Work Contact Be Illegal?

The new proposed law raises the question whether after-hour contact should be illegal. “We’re in such an interesting time where we lawmakers, employees and employers are redefining the future of work–some more begrudgingly than others,” Kookchitra points out. “The last few years have shown us there are very new and effective ways of getting work done and being productive versus the traditional work day/traditional office settings. I think the potential effects on productivity and workplace dynamics with this new law could be profound for workplaces and leaders that value worker well-being.”

The majority of employees who have been surveyed are onboard with Kookchitra. A 2022 survey of 1,000 employed Americans by Skynova found that nearly 70% of workers reported their employer contacts them outside of normal work hours at least once a week. Almost two in five employees said they work outside of scheduled hours because their boss expects it, and 63.3% believe it should be illegal for employers to contact them outside of working hours.

More recently, Clarify Capital surveyed 1,000 employees and business executives about the bill. Results detected a deep divide between employees and management.

83% of employees support the “Right to Disconnect” bill.
Business executives are 75% more likely to oppose the “Right to Disconnect” bill.
Nearly three in five employees feel obligated to respond to work-related communications outside of work hours.
On average, two in five employees make themselves available to respond to work-related communications for nine or more hours per workday.
One in three business executives expect their employees to respond to work-related communications outside of work hours.

Dookchitra believes employers who embrace the law and consider it as added value for their employees and workplace will see more productivity, creativity and connection with their employees than companies who see it as another obstacle to be subverted.

“The important and interesting thing to note when it comes to this bill is there is a difference between working outside traditional office hours because that is an employee’s preference and doing so because their manager is contacting them and requiring them to respond,” she clarifies. “This new law would force businesses to revisit policies and procedures and clarify expectations. Businesses and leaders would need to more clearly define what is expected from the workday and set more realistic expectations. This clarity could lead to higher productivity and also higher quality. The change would also encourage workers to consciously create separation between work life and their personal lives. As we know, some people are always ‘switched on’ or tied to their workplace systems. Being forced to separate work and life would likely lead to more creativity and engagement at work in the long run.”

A Final Takeaway

In closing, Dookchitra points out that laws are already changing throughout the world as a result of the pandemic and the new lifestyle and caretaker responsibilities that modern life and technology have unearthed in recent years. “I believe there will continue to be a movement towards worker well-being and flexibility. I believe businesses will think both about the bottom line and ROI but also about the most important ways to keep top talent,” she posits, further predicting that the traditional way of working will continue to be turned on its side to test out new practices and policies and that there will continue to be interplay between laws, compliance and worker benefits and perks. “I believe these benefits and perks (including a flexible work schedule and remote work) will continue to factor in just as much as salaries and cash have in the past,” she concludes. “Companies will need to continually define their stance on these topics—even without external forces like state-based laws— because workers are demanding a new way of working.”

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California

Suspect in Molotov attack at Sam Altman’s California home set to appear in court

Published

7 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Suspect in Molotov attack at Sam Altman’s California home set to appear in court

SAN FRANCISCO — The man accused of trying to kill OpenAI CEO Sam Altman by throwing a Molotov cocktail at his San Francisco home is set to make an initial court appearance Tuesday.

Daniel Moreno-Gama, of Spring, Texas, traveled to San Francisco last week and hurled the incendiary device at Altman’s home Friday, setting an exterior gate on fire before fleeing on foot, authorities said. Less than an hour later, Moreno-Gama went to OpenAI’s headquarters about 3 miles (5 kilometers) away and threatened to burn down the building, they said.

No one was injured at Altman’s home or the company’s offices.

Authorities said Moreno-Gama, 20, expressed hatred of artificial intelligence in his writings, describing it as a danger to humanity and warning of “impending extinction,” according to court filings.

“This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious,” FBI San Francisco Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo said during a news conference Monday.

Moreno-Gama is charged in California state court with two counts of attempted murder and attempted arson, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. He tried to kill both Altman and a security guard at Altman’s residence, she alleged. Officials have not said whether Altman was home at the time.

Online state court records do not yet show whether Moreno-Gama has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Craig Missakian, U.S. Attorney, Northern District of California, middle, speaks during a news conference Monday, April 13, 2026, in San Francisco. Credit: AP/Jeff Chiu

Jenkins said the state charges carry penalties ranging from 19 years to life in prison.

On Monday morning, FBI agents went to Moreno-Gama’s home in a Houston suburb where they spent several hours before leaving. He has also been charged by federal prosecutors with possession of an unregistered firearm and damage and destruction of property by means of explosives. Those charges carry respective penalties of up to 10 years and 20 years in prison.

“We will treat this as an act of domestic terrorism, and together with our partners, prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said when announcing the federal charges Monday.

The federal court documents do not list an attorney for Moreno-Gama, and he has not yet had his first appearance in federal court.

The document in which Moreno-Gama discussed his opposition to AI also made threats against Altman and executives at other AI companies, officials said.

“If I am going to advocate for others to kill and commit crimes, then I must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message,” Moreno-Gama wrote, according to authorities.

Advocacy groups that have issued grave warnings about AI’s risks to society condemned the violence.

Anthony Aguirre, president and CEO of the Future of Life Institute, said in a written statement Friday that “violence and intimidation of any kind have no place in the conversation about the future of AI.”

Another group, PauseAI, said in a statement that the suspect had no role in the group but joined its forum on the social media platform Discord about two years ago and posted about 34 messages there, none containing explicit calls to violence but one that was flagged as “ambiguous.”

Discord said Monday that it has banned Moreno-Gama for “off-platform behavior.”

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California

California dad charged with incest after allegedly assaulting daughter; DA may drop case

Published

19 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Dad charged with incest after allegedly assaulting daughter

Makayla Rene Settles moved to California to chase her dreams. Two days later, her family says her biological father sexually assaulted her. She was 18. She died five months later. Now her family is fighting to make sure her accused attacker faces trial.

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – When Makayla Rene Settles turned 18, she left Raleigh, North Carolina, for a fresh start. She moved to Moorpark, California, to live with her biological father, Stephen Vincent Chavez, with plans to attend college and build a new life. Two days after she arrived, her family says she called terrified and asking for help.

“It was just the fear in her voice, her crying. I didn’t need details. I knew something was wrong, and I said, ‘I’m on the way,’” said Carolina Sandoval, Makayla’s mother.

Carolina says she rushed to Chavez’s home. When she saw her daughter, she was devastated.

“She’s barely walking,” Carolina said. “My brother picks her up and hugs her.”

Makayla was taken to a hospital, where a rape kit was performed. According to the family, the results came back positive for Stephen Vincent Chavez’s DNA. He was arrested that same night and charged with incest, taking advantage of a position of trust, and providing alcohol to a minor.

Her cousin, Crystal Sandoval, was in disbelief. She said, “I was screaming, I was crying. I just kept thinking, why would he do that to her? This is something she could not come back from.”

Crystal was right. Five months later, Makayla Rene Settles died by suicide.

“If I’m being honest, it feels like I handed my daughter to the devil,” said Carolina.

On the night Makayla was taken to the hospital, Sandoval says Chavez sent her a text message. It read, “I’m never drinking liquor again. I don’t want that blackout to happen again.”

Now, the family says they’ve been dealt another devastating blow. According to Crystal Sandoval, the Ventura County DA’s Office has told them the case may not go to trial because Makayla is no longer alive to testify.

“The DA was essentially saying, ‘We don’t know if we have a case because she’s no longer here,’ and when she told me that, I immediately said, ‘No, we’re not going to let that slide,’” said Crystal.

Determined to get justice, Crystal took to social media. Her videos went viral, drawing widespread outrage and prompting hundreds to promise to show up to Chavez’s next court hearing, scheduled for April 21 at the Ventura County Courthouse.

“It was like he took her sunshine away and just kind of broke her soul,” Crystal said.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office issued the following statement:

“We have seen the posts online and want to let the public know that our Sexual Assault Unit continues to prosecute the defendant for this extremely serious crime. This case has been filed since July 2025, when the evidence supported the filing of felony charges. As with any case, prosecutors filed charges based on the evidence. The court sets bail. Our office successfully moved to increase bail to $250K in July 2025 when the case was filed. The defendant requested that bail be reduced, but we successfully argued against that. The defendant has since posted $250K bail and is out of custody. With respect to the upcoming hearing, the April 21 date is an early disposition conference. This is a standard pretrial proceeding where the court and parties address the status of the case and set future dates as appropriate.”

Despite that statement, the family says they have already been told a trial is not guaranteed, and they are not backing down. Chavez has pleaded not guilty. His next court hearing is April 21 at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 14 at the Ventura County Courthouse.

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California

California’s leading GOP candidate for governor reacts to Swalwell’s exit from race | CNN Politics

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

California’s leading GOP candidate for governor reacts to Swalwell’s exit from race

Republican Gov. candidate Steve Hilton joins CNN’s Dana Bash after one of his opponents, Rep. Eric Swalwell, exited the California governor’s race amid sexual misconduct allegations. “We desperately need change. And no Democrat can provide that,” Hilton says.

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