Rules Committee advances Jennifer Osborne after questioning on CRD complaints, PAGA filings and Cal/OSHA audit fixes
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Summary
Jennifer Osborne’s confirmation hearing covered complaints involving the Civil Rights Department, PAGA litigation concerns, Cal/OSHA audit findings and DIR’s plans to tackle backlogs and IT shortcomings; the committee voted 4–0 to advance her to the full Senate.
Jennifer Osborne, the governor’s nominee to lead the Department of Industrial Relations, told the Senate Rules Committee she intends to prioritize workplace safety, timely workers’ compensation and clearing case backlogs as the committee unanimously voted to move her nomination to the full Senate.
Osborne introduced herself and outlined her state government experience, and senators pressed her on specific oversight questions. Vice Chair Grove raised a set of longstanding complaints involving the Civil Rights Department (CRD). Osborne said she became aware of those complaints only the day before the hearing and had not personally reviewed them; she said she would follow up and leverage her chief deputy’s background to gather more information.
Members also focused on PAGA-related litigation and what the state can do about high-frequency filers that generate large settlements and litigation costs for employers. Osborne described the Labor Commissioner and Cal/OSHA roles in PAGA investigations and said DIR’s role is more limited; she offered to coordinate with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and return with relevant data.
Osborne addressed the Cal/OSHA audit that was published at the time of her appointment, saying the department has revised policies and is rolling out staff training to standardize intake and field decision-making. She said DIR is seeking budget proposals to double the Bureau of Investigation, create a centralized complaint-intake unit to free investigators for field work, and expand personnel for extreme-heat and agricultural enforcement. Osborne said DIR is piloting a government-focused Salesforce solution to replace an outdated case-intake system.
Committee members asked about scale: the hearing record cites about 86,000 open cases as of November 2025 and an average case closure time of 634 days in 2024. Osborne acknowledged these challenges and said she is working with the labor commissioner to set clear metrics and a plan to reduce backlogs, and that she will return with more detailed proposals. Following supportive public comments from employer groups and unions, Vice Chair Grove moved to advance the nomination; the committee approved the motion 4–0.
