School’s out for summer… And that means many employees are requesting time off for family vacations, making now a great time for your business to review its vacation policy. Vacation policies must be compliant with California law and also meet company needs. While paid vacation is not mandatory in California, if an employer has offered…
In California, most employment is at-will. This means that employees may be fired or quit their job for almost any reason. Yet, there are times when a worker may be let go in California and be eligible to file a wrongful termination claim. Here are a few of the most common reasons for a wrongful…
Are non-compete agreements truly a thing of the past in California? It seems that the California Supreme Court would like employers to think so. After all, in 2008 the Court brought down the hammer on these covenants not to compete (a clause under which one party (usually an employee) agrees not to enter into or…
Overtime pay, or the alleged lack thereof, is an issue we regularly see pop up in the California courts. While California employers generally recognize that non-exempt employees (e.g. many hourly employees) who work overtime must receive overtime premiums on their base pay, not all are aware that these premiums may also be required on other,…
Thanks to technology, employers are essentially now able to track an employee’s every move. Whether it be on the internet, on sales routes, or in a production center, technological advancements have made it easy to monitor an employee’s movements in ways that could only be imagined a couple of decades ago. As we have discussed…
Since Election Day, speculation about the impact the Trump Administration will have on existing business and employment laws and regulations has abounded. Now that President Trump has taken office, what can we expect? Read on for my thoughts on how the Department of Labor, the EEOC, and the President’s own executive actions may have bearing…
On January 1, 2017, employers in California with headquarters outside of the Golden State will be treated the same as in-state employers insofar as applying California Law. Labor Code Section 925, which applies to employment contracts with employees who live and work primarily in California, prohibits the use of contract provisions that apply another state’s…
Perhaps in response to some of the questions posed by the media following the election of Donald Trump, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) recently released guidance on national origin discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). As many employers are aware, Title VII applies to any individual employed…
The use of medical marijuana in the California workplace has been a popular, if not confusing, topic as of late. With conflicting views on medical marijuana usage at the federal and state levels, many employers are understandably perplexed, if not a little nervous, while attempting to walk the fine line between federal law (which continues…
Many California employers are aware that there are limits on the types of questions you can ask job applicants and/or current employees who are interviewing for a new position. For example, it is unlawful to ask a question that could reflect bias based on race, color, age, gender, religion, gender affiliation, or any other protected…