The Algorithm Can Flag. A Human Has to Fire.
Picture a manager with a performance dashboard, one name in red, and a recommended action. Under California's new law, that is where the decision starts, not where it ends.
On September 30, Governor Newsom signed SB 947, the No Robo Bosses Act. Employers cannot rely solely on an automated decision system to discipline or terminate a worker (CNBC). If the system is the main basis, a human reviewer has to corroborate it with other information, like manager evaluations or peer reviews (Gizmodo).
Duties begin July 1, 2027 (Ogletree). The same package requires notice when AI drives a layoff, bans tools that predict an employee's emotional state, and bars surveillance in workplace bathrooms. The bill numbers are SB 951, AB 1883, and AB 1331. Write them down.
Newsom vetoed an earlier version last October. The signed law is softer than labor wanted. It lost parts on the way to signature, including a worker appeal process (CalMatters).
Don't plan around Washington fixing this for you. The patchwork is permanent.
It's not an HR technology problem. It's a decision-ownership problem. Build one standard and use it everywhere.
This month, list every tool that scores, ranks, or flags employees. Name the person who corroborates any AI-informed discipline, and write down what other evidence they must review.
Read the full research behind this story, plus this week's senior housing and insurance coverage flagships, in the LITT Briefing on Substack.