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 […]
Workers Compensation Coverage for Diagnosed Workers California employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance for on-the-job injuries and job-related illnesses. California governor Newsom’s May 6, 2020 Executive Order N-62-20 (the order) directs that workers contracting COVID-19-related illness between March 19 and July 5, 2020 are presumed entitled to full work comp coverage, including medical care, temporary […]
Employers are taking various steps to help offset the economic repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic, such as providing employees with the use of paid sick leave, paid vacation time, and telecommuting. A well-written telecommuting policy permits managers and rank-and-file workers alike to know where they stand. It should minimally address these points: Identifying the equipment […]
IRS Mileage Rate Down a Half Cent Effective January 1, 2020 The Internal Revenue Service has announced its 2020 optional standard mileage reimbursement rate for employee business use of a personal vehicle, effective January 1, 2020, decreasing from 58 to 57.5 cents. These rates stem from annual government studies of fixed and variable automotive operating […]
OVER THE BORDERLINE State Agency Settles Sex and National Origin Discrimination Case for $450,0000 On July 26, 2019 the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) announced the $450,000 settlement of a sexual harassment, national origin and retaliation case against Pioneer Pines Mobile Home Park. The complainant, a female employee of Mexican descent who […]
CHOKE THE “JOKES” EEOC Settles Tex-Mex Restaurant Servers’ Sexual Harassment Case for $40,000 The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination and harassment based on sex, including sexual orientation. On August 9, 2019, the EEOC announced the $40,000 resolution of its harassment lawsuit against Virginia-based El Tio Tex- Mex Grill […]
RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY NOT FEELING THE LOVE 708,521 Reasons to Pay Workers Legally Not having worker’s compensation insurance for five years was bad enough, but when the Labor Commissioner’s Office started investigating a workers’ compensation complaint against 53-bed Amore Retirement Living, it also discovered failure to pay minimum wage, overtime, and other wage and hour […]
General Contractor and Property Owners Left Holding Bag Labor Code section 218.7, effective January 1, 2018, made general “direct” contractors (those delivering to property owners directly) responsible for wage payments to employees of subcontractors who fail to make those payments. However, direct contractors may be able to prevent such exposure through well-constructed written agreements with […]
EEOC Settles Female Miner Discrimination and Retaliation Case For $690,000 The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced the $690,000 resolution of its gender-based lawsuit against Alaska gold mining outfit Northern Star LLC, formerly Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo (Pogo). The government alleged Pogo discriminated against female underground miner Hanna Hurst by refusing to promote her despite promoting male […]
California Employers Must Pay Wages for Required Call-In to Confirm Day’s Work Schedule Employers who require workers to call in to ascertain whether they are needed for a scheduled work shift will now need to rethink this practice. California Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) publishes “wage orders” containing regulations on wages, breaks, record-keeping and other working […]