Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
MINISTERS AND MESSENGERS
Supreme Court Removes Discrimination Protections for a Wide Range of Church-Affiliated Employees To a degree, the First Amendment shields religious institutions from government involvement in employment disputes. The U.S. Supreme has recently broadened that protection to potentially place hundreds of thousands of parochial school teachers and other church-affiliated workers outside the reach of workplace discrimination laws. Our […]
CABIN FEVER IN A PANDEMIC
California’s Updated Coronavirus Response On June 28, 2020, Governor Newsom directed bars to close in five counties on the state’s watch list: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, and Tulare. These join two other counties – Imperial and San Joaquin – with bars already subject to such mandatory closings. The state has recommended bar closings in eight other […]
NO BASE LIKE HOME
When Interstate Transport Workers are Entitled to California Paycheck Protections While each state has the power to set wage and other workplace standards for labor performed within its borders, that authority can blur when truckers and passenger carrier personnel divide their work time between the states. On several suits by pilots and flight attendants, the […]
NOW WHAT?
California Requirements to Avoid Employee Heat Illness in Time of Face Mask With temperatures rising to summer levels in parts of the state, employer obligations to protect outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses, beginning at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, come into force. Areas not yet reaching that threshold should prepare for the heat to come. Particularly with […]
NEW LOCAL MINIMUM WAGE RATES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2020
California minimum wages are currently $13.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees and $12.00 for employers with 25 employees or less. On January 1 of each coming year, these will continue to increase one dollar/hour until reaching $15 per hour for the larger employers (26-plus) in 2022 and for the smaller employers […]
KNOW YOUR BOUNDARIES
New Employer Restrictions on Hiring Notices and Interviews Starting July 1, 2020 California law prohibits discrimination against applicants and employees for their membership in any protected class, including religious creed, disability and age (40+). The California Fair Employment and Housing Council (FEHC) has issued new regulations effective July 1, 2020, to better protect such individuals. Advertisements. The […]
SOCIETY’S HIGH WIRE ACT WEEK ELEVEN
California’s Stage Two Phased Reopening Continues While we are not yet out of the woods, state and local government continue to ease restrictions upon life as we at least used to know it. As pandemic pressure has eased and public demands have increased, at least 35 counties have announced their ability to accelerate their transition through “Stage 2” […]
FAITH AND THE PANDEMIC
State and Local Governments Now Agree Churches Are Essential Setting aside the vital importance of people’s spiritual ties in times of need, California (echo’ing the feds) had regarded churches “non-essential” from the March 19 start of its safer-at-home orders. As pandemic pressure has eased and public demands have increased, the state has now acknowledged the […]
PAID SICK LEAVE GOING VIRAL
California Cities and Counties Expanding Pandemic-Related Benefits In response to COVID-19, a growing number of California cities and counties have issued expanded paid sick leave laws primarily targeting employers exempt from the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). To our knowledge, and as of May 29, 2020: City Covered Employers Effective Date Expiration Date Other resources […]
REALITY CHECK
Government Pandemic Defense Monrovia, Liberia April 17, 2020 African Literacy Campaign Pandemic Response As much of the U.S. begins to dig out after months of pandemic-inspired “hibernation,” many of us resume reach to the wider world. My attention returns to Liberia and Sierra Leone and our firm’s support of Applied Scholastics International (APS) and its African […]