News

The next phase of the minimum wage increase, for many local jurisdictions, will take effect on July 1, 2019.  If your business is located, or if your employees perform work, in certain local jurisdictions you must comply with the minimum wage for your city or county if the local ordinance provides for a higher minimum wage… Continue Reading

New California Family Rights Pregnancy Disability & New Parent Leave Poster Requirement- April 1, 2019 The Department of Fair Employment and Housing has updated its poster on the California Family Rights Act and Pregnancy Disability Leave to include information about the recently enacted New Parent Leave Act (NPLA). California employers with 50 or more employees… Continue Reading

In a recent California Court of Appeal decision, the Court held that employees scheduled for “on-call” or “call-in” shifts may be entitled to “reporting time pay” even if the employee does not physically report to work. Summary of the Facts The employer, Tilly’s, is a retail operation. The employees were assigned both “regular” shifts where they… Continue Reading

The Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) publishes posters that provide information to employers and employees pertaining to California’s civil rights laws. These posters must be displayed in the workplace. The DFEH also publishes several brochures and fact sheets with further details regarding discrimination and harassment in the workplace. The brochures are to be provided… Continue Reading

In a follow-up to our newsletter following Governor Brown’s signing of many new employment law bills, the below summarizes some of the additional new pieces of legislation impacting employers in 2019. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS – AN UPDATE The law relating to independent contractors following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Dynamex Operations West v. Superior Court… Continue Reading

As a reminder, effective January 1, 2019, the state of California and many local cities and counties will have the next step in their minimum wages increase. Below is a summary of these increases. STATE OF CALIFORNIA The State’s minimum wage will increase as of January 1, 2019. The minimum wage amount is dependent on the number… Continue Reading

As the holiday season approaches and as we look forward to celebrating with our friends and colleagues, employers must keep in mind the “do’s and don’t’s” of office holiday parties. With some careful planning employers can avoid or minimize the post-holiday party headaches and the potential legal claims and liabilities that could follow. It is also… Continue Reading

NEW PROTECTIONS AGAINST NATIONAL ORIGIN DISCRIMINATION The California Fair Employment and Housing Council (FEHC) recently issued new regulations that provide a more detailed definition of “national origin” and “national origin groups”. The new regulations also set forth the permissible and impermissible types of policies relating to English only language restrictions, inquiries regarding immigration status, and… Continue Reading

RECENTLY PASSED LEGISLATION DEFAMATION SUITS & SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS Governor Brown has recently signed Assembly Bill 2770 entitled Privileged Communications: communications by former employer: sexual harassment. AB 2770 (Irwin; D-Thousand Oaks). This bill takes effect January 1, 2019. As a consequence to the increase in sexual harassment claims, there has also been a rise in claims… Continue Reading