Posts Tagged ‘California employees’
EVERY MINUTE COUNTS
Employers Must Pay for All Minutes Worked Before and After Shifts Employers who require workers to perform short tasks before or after clocking out for their shift will now need to rethink this practice, even if it takes only an extra minute or so per day to boot up or turn off a computer and […]
CAUTIONARY TALES EPISODE 17
Labor Enforcement Task Force Targeting “Underground Economy” The Labor Enforcement Task Force (LETF), a coalition of California agencies directed by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), has been targeting the “underground economy” for violation of employment laws since 2012. Members include the Labor Commissioner’s Department (Division of Labor Standards Enforcement), Cal/OSHA, Employment Development Department, Department […]
PRIVATE OR SOCIAL?
Employee Privacy on Social Media California law prohibits employer access to the personal social media accounts of its employees. “Social media” is defined as “an electronic service or account, or electronic content, including, but not limited to, videos, still photographs, blogs, video blogs, podcasts, instant and text messages, email, online services or accounts, or Internet […]
DRESS FOR SUCCESS
HOW TO ADDRESS THE EMPLOYEE DRESS CODE A well-written dress code and personal appearances policy clearly instructs employees on what type of business attire the company finds appropriate. Depending on the nature of the business enterprise or industry, employers may require employees to wear formal business attire every day. Some implement a more casual dress […]
PART-TIMERS IN CALIFORNIA
Same Rules for Rest Breaks, Meal Periods and Paid Sick Leave Hiring workers for shortened hours or for fewer days weekly does not absolve an employer from complying with the full range of workplace legal requirements. In fact, greater attention may be required with part-time employees to avoid the wage and hour pitfalls. Paid Rest […]
WAKE UP CALL
Call Center Accused of Ignoring Sexual Harassment Complaints Settles Suit for $3.5 Million The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced court approval of a $3.5 million payment to resolve a sexual harassment lawsuit against Irvine, California employer Alorica, Inc., a call center and technology services business. The government alleged the company had condoned […]
CALIFORNIA PAID FAMILY LEAVE OVERVIEW
Is California’s “Paid Family Leave” a Protected Leave of Absence? Employers are sometimes uncertain how to properly respond to an employee’s request for Paid Family Leave because the name is somewhat misleading. Some unpaid “leaves of absence” (for example for medical conditions or family emergencies) are legally “protected,” meaning the employer must accept the eligible […]
CAUTIONARY TALES EPISODE 16
Spa Nailed for $1.2 Million, “Wage Theft” The California Labor Commissioner’s Office has announced large citations against Young’s Nail Spa in Temecula, for misclassification of 36 workers as independent contractors and for wage theft, paying by the service instead of paying them hourly and overtime in spite of 50-hour weeks. The salon was also […]
CAUTIONARY TALE EPISODE 15
Drywall Company Plastered With Nearly $2 Million in Citations The Labor Commissioner has again looked to the construction industry for its latest round of wage theft citations. A July 24, 2018 release announces that Fullerton Pacific Interiors, Inc. will have to pay over $1.9 million for underpaying several hundred workers over a nearly two-year period. […]
CAUTIONARY TALES EPISODE 14
Workplace Illness and Injury Prevention Programs are Mandatory in California On July 10, 2018, Cal/OSHA issued a press release that is a stark reminder of the need for an Illness and Injury Prevention Program (IIPP) both on paper and in practice. Cal/OSHA cited SSA Pacific Inc., a marine cargo handler in San Diego, for safety […]