Blog
CAUTIONARY TALES EPISODE 1
A Minimum Wage and Overtime Recovery For Three Times Amount Claimed California was among the first states to require a minimum hourly wage, 16 cents in 1916. Federal law finally joined the trend in 1938. Now, cities and counties are enacting ordinances for ever-higher minimums. See, The History of Minimum Wage Laws, and Location, Location, Location…Location […]
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION … LOCATION
California Municipal Minimum Wage Rates Continue to Grow California hourly minimum wage is currently $10.50 for employers with 26 or more on payroll and $10.00 for employers with 25 or less and on January 1, 2018, the rates increase to $11.00 and $10.50 respectively. The state minimum wage will continue to increase each year until […]
NEW TRANSGENDER RIGHTS IN THE WORKPLACE
Expanded California Regulations Effective July 1, 2017 California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) recently heeded Dylan’s lyric “the times they are a-changin’” and released Regulations Regarding Transgender Identity and Expression. Effective July 1, 2017, the new regulations expand existing protections under FEHA (Fair Employment and Housing Act) for “gender identity” and “gender expression” […]
I-9 FORM REVISED YET AGAIN
Just When You Thought You Had the Right Form, Feds Issue New One The federal government requires employers to verify identity and work authorization of their employees using a Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) with certain supporting documentation. After revising the form on November 14, 2016, the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on […]
IT’S ONLY MONEY
2018 Fee Increases, Additional Requirements for Home Care Organizations and Home Care Aides California’s Home Care Services Bureau (HCSB) – the licensing and oversight agency for Home Care Organizations (HCOs) employing registered caregivers (Home Care Aides [HCAs]) to private clients – has announced fee increases for HCO licenses and HCA registrations. See California Home Care Organizations […]
THE STATE OF WORKPLACE HARASSMENT AND RETALIATION CLAIMS
California’s 2016 Report: Sex-Based Claims Continue to Top the List The California Department of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH) has published its 2016 annual report on unlawful workplace discrimination, harassment and retaliation charges. Employees filed 17,041 complaints with DFEH last year, down a few hundred from the 2015 total. Many contained multiple accusations. Sex-based, retaliation, and disability […]
ASSISTING WORKER-VICTIMS OF STALKING, SEXUAL ABUSE AND OTHER TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS
HELPING THE HAUNTED – California Employers Must Accommodate Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault or Stalking California Labor Code section 230 prohibits all employers from terminating, discriminating or retaliating against employee victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking for taking time off for related court appearances. Private employers with 25 or more on payroll must […]
NEW NOTICE POSTING REQUIREMENTS FOR BARBERS AND COSMETOLOGISTS
CUTTING TO THE CHASE – New Workplace Posting Requirements for California’s Salon Industries, Effective July 1, 2017 Starting July 1, 2017, California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (BBC) requires its licensees – including hair salons, nail salons, estheticians, and barbers — to post a special Labor Commissioner notice on applicable employment laws. The notice includes information […]
MIND THE STINK
The Consequences of Failing to Reasonably Accommodate Worker Disability What happens when an employer ignores requests from a disabled employee for reasonable accommodation? In one recent case, a $3 million jury verdict was the result. Caltrans analyst, John Barrie, sued his employer for failure to accommodate his severe allergies to chemicals, such as cleaning agents and […]
MID-YEAR DEADLINE APPROACHES
California Employers Must Post Certain Updated Workplace Notices by July 1, 2017 All California employers must prominently post certain notices on wages, hours and working conditions. Employers must display these announcements where all employees have access. Failing to inform employees of their rights can subject an employer to penalties. Several California statewide and local notices must […]