Posts Tagged ‘employee policies’
IN THE KNOW
New Post-Pandemic Workplace Policies If California has been able to flatten the COVID-19 curve over the past two months, it has been by a sustained flood (pandemic?) of government directives and orders. Over the past week alone, the State of California has issued no less than 26 road maps, guidance memos, and checklists relating to […]
WHEN THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Key Protection Protocols for an Essential Industry Employee’s COVID-19 Diagnosis/Symptoms As of April 7, all but five states (the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Arkansas) have some form of COVID-19 “safer at home” orders in place. For those businesses permitted or directed to stay open as part of the 16 federally-designated “critical infrastructure” sectors, management faces […]
HOLDING FIRM
As a close observer of the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak from my West African work, the most precious commodity in the current pandemic is knowledge. Please consider this eight-minute COVID-19 video for a concrete understanding of the actual challenge we all face and the simple actions necessary to place this ordeal firmly in the rear view […]
TELECOMMUTING IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
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 […]
WHAT’S NEW IN 2020 ROAD TRIP DIP
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 […]
DODGING THE BULLET
The Industries and Professions Not Subject to California’s New Independent Contractor Restrictions Effective January 1, 2020, Assembly Bill (AB) 5 will dramatically extend the ultra-strict Dynamex “ABC” test for independent contractor classification. See, California’s Independent Contractors, Endangered Species? (October, 2019). However, a portion of AB-5, to become Labor Code section 2750.3(b), exempts several specific industries/licensed […]
BOSS SAUCED
Senior Managers Must Prevent Supervisor Harassment, Discrimination It is illegal for employers to discriminate against or harass employees because of age, national origin, and other protected classifications. An employer that terminates an employee for such reasons can anticipate a lawsuit for wrongful termination. Also, an employee resignation due to a discriminatory work environment created or […]
COMFORT IS NOT A LUXURY
Protections for People Needing Assistive Animals A recent settlement extends California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) disabilities protection to rental applicants seeking to move in with emotional support pets. In a complaint filed with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) against Adams West Associates, Ltd. and Bedford Group of Companies, LLC, a […]
CAUTIONARY TALE EPISODE 33
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 […]
ARE SHOES REIMBURSABLE BUSINESS EXPENSES?
Woman showing ankle, 1908 A California appellate court recently addressed whether BJ’s Restaurants (BJ’s) improperly failed to reimburse its employees for the purchase of slip-resistant shoes. Server Krista Townley sued on behalf of herself and other similarly-affected hourly co-workers alleging BJ’s Restaurants (BJ’s) required them to wear black, slip-resistant, close-toed shoes for safety reasons without […]