One of the best ways to protect your business from allegations of discrimination and retaliation is to ensure that you’re utilizing a progressive disciplinary system. This type of system puts an employee on notice of a work performance or behavioral issue, thereby...
Labor And Employment Law
How do I handle an EEOC complaint quickly?
For employers, any type of litigation notice can be stress-inducing, including inquiries from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As with any type of potential litigation risk, business owners worry about the costs, the amount of resources needed for the...
Court restores change to employee/independent contractor test
A proposed change in how the U.S. Department of Labor decides if a worker is an employee or independent contractor is back, at least for now. A federal judge recently ruled that the Labor Department violated federal rules of administrative procedure when it tried to...
Understanding exemptions under the FLSA
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is one of the most far-reaching of the laws passed during President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. The statute was intended to ensure that employees received all of the employment benefits offered by federal law. Much of the...
Is your business’ employment policy prepared for 2022?
The year 2022 is fast approaching. A number of new laws affecting large California employers are set to go into effect. If your business is not up to date on these changes, you could expose yourself to potentially expensive legal complaints from your workforce....
Defending against wrongful termination claims
A well-established private company sometimes has no choice but to let an employee go. Under California at-will employment laws, employers are allowed to terminate an employee’s employment at any time for any legal reason. However, an employee may find reasons to...
Paying per diems to your employees? Beware this costly pitfall.
California businesses routinely pay per diems to cover lodging, meals, and other incidental expenses for their employees who travel for work. A recent decision from the Federal Court of Appeals in California serves as an important reminder to those businesses about a...
The benefits of a well-crafted employment agreement
Employment agreements are essential legal documents that businesses and their prospective employees review and sign to solidify their formal work-related understandings. These important contracts can cover diverse terms and topics ranging from pay and compensation to...
Tabloid website accused of employment law violations
When there are allegations of employment law violations in California and across the nation, there is a knee-jerk reaction to automatically think that the employer is in the wrong. Behaviors like sexual harassment, discrimination, a toxic work environment and other...
Should you update your employee handbook?
Your employee handbook is an important document in your workplace, helping you meet The United States Department of Labor requirements about informing employees of your policies and their rights. It can also provide guidelines that protect your business from...