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PAID PARENTAL LEAVE REQUIRED FOR SAN FRANCISCO EMPLOYERS

Groundbreaking Law Creates Paid Time Off for Baby Bonding As part of their ongoing efforts to establish family-friendly workplaces, the City and County of San Francisco are now the first municipalities in the U.S. to require employers to pay for parental leave. The San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Ordinance and its amendment (together, PPLO), starting […]

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HOLIDAY SEASON OFFICE PARTY THAT’S NICE, NOT NAUGHTY

Workplace celebrations for end-of-year holidays can build teamwork and morale if properly planned and managed. Here are some suggested do’s and don’ts so your festivities will be a rousing success and not a human resources nightmare. DO: Start by evaluating what type of events best fit your company’s culture, but remember that even if you […]

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SUN SETTING ON SAFE HARBOR ON DECEMBER 15, 2016

California Piece Pay Employers’ Final Step Is Payment and Documentation Submitted to the State Several California industries – trucking and agriculture in particular – have utilized “piece-rate” pay for many years, commonly to the benefit of management and employees alike. Drivers have earned by the miles traveled or loads delivered, field workers have made their […]

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IT’S ALL RELATIVE

Employees with Disabled Family Members Are Protected from “Associational” Discrimination For some 15 years, Luis Castro-Ramirez was the only family member qualified to administer daily dialysis treatments to his ailing son. When Dependable Highway Express, Inc. (DHE) hired Castro-Ramirez in December 2009, his supervisors accommodated his request for morning shifts so that he would arrive […]

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NEW CALIFORNIA OVERTIME REQUIREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYERS

Phase-In of Stricter Rules Begins January 1, 2017 Agricultural employers in California must prepare to overhaul their compensation schemes under the Phase-In Overtime for Agricultural Workers Act of 2016 (Act), a new law signed by the Governor on September 12, 2016. The Act affects all persons “employed in an agricultural occupation” (essentially field workers), lowering […]

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THE END IS NIGH

••• California’s Piece Work Employers Must Convey All Back Payments and Statements by December 15, 2016 ••• There is No Provision for Extensions For thousands of California employers who have compensated workers on a piece rate basis over the years, December 15, 2016 is a critical deadline for delivering the required back payments and accompanying […]

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COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROFESSIONAL OVERTIME EXEMPTION REQUIREMENT

California Labor Code section 515.5 exempts certain computer software professionals from overtime compensation who receive specified minimum compensation. California’s Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has announced its rate increase for this minimum, effective January 1, 2017. To comply with the section 515.5 exemptions, California employers must pay otherwise qualified computer software employees a minimum hourly […]

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NEW MINIMUM SALARY LEVELS COMING FOR TOP-FLOOR EXECUTIVES

Federal Increase Due December 1, 2016 To Qualify Exempt-from-Overtime Employees Effective December 1, 2016, the Federal Overtime Exemption Rule, “the Final Rule,” will raise the minimum salary amounts for certain workers to qualify for overtime exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). See New Stricter Federal Requirements on Exemptions from Overtime, Employers Must Comply […]

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OVERTIME-EXEMPT PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

Minimum Hourly Rate Increases Are Near California Labor Code section 515.6 exempts certain licensed physicians and surgeons from overtime compensation as long as they receive set minimum hourly rates of pay. The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) is increasing this minimum, effective January 1, 2017. To avoid California’s requirements to pay overtime premium rates after […]

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BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

What to Do When There’s a Death in the Family On Monday morning, one of your two salespeople requests three days off to attend his grandmother’s funeral in Minnesota. On Thursday, the other salesperson requests five days off to attend the funeral of a loved one in Hawaii. Are you legally obligated to grant either […]

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