Changes to California’s Mandatory Workplace Pamphlets on State Benefit Programs California employers must provide certain government-issued pamphlets or information sheets to new hires, to employees on certain types of leaves of absence, and to workers upon termination of employment. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) — overseeing unemployment and disability benefits, payroll tax collection, and […]
New Workplace Notice Available For Family Related Leaves Starting April 1, 2019, covered California employers must post the new Family Care and Medical Leave and Pregnancy Disability Leave notice (DFEH-100-21/March 2019). Previously, the notice was only for employers with 50 or more on payroll. It summarized employee rights and responsibilities when requesting Family Care […]
KNOCK, KNOCK When It’s Your Turn For a Government Payroll Audit For California, the Employment Development Department (EDD) is responsible for the administration of unemployment and disability insurance, workforce training services and payroll audits. The agency has the power to impose significant, potentially fatal penalties for non-compliance. An EDD visit to look over pay practices […]
California Aims to Protect Workers Against Race-Based Natural Hairstyle Bias Federal, state and local laws have long banned workplace racial discrimination. A recent trend seeks to expand such protections to various race-based traits, particularly certain hairstyles. Under California’s now-pending Senate Bill (SB 188), workplace dress or grooming policies prohibiting natural hairstyles, including Afros, braids and […]
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 […]
In another rebuke to the construction industry, the Labor Commissioner has cited RDV Construction, a Los Angeles County subcontractor, $12 million for wage theft violations involving more than a thousand workers. The Carpenters Contractors Cooperation Committee, a non-profit labor-management organization, assisted in bringing those violations to light. RDV provided crews on 35 mixed-use, apartment, and […]
Unpaid Wages and Attempt to Evade Consequences Result in Seizure of Owners’ Assets Continuing to target restaurants and other industries under its Wage Theft Is a Crime program, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) has taken action against the Mango Gardens restaurant chain. In 2015 following a referral from Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law […]
The Expanding Meaning of “Zero Tolerance” The #MeToo movement has prompted the California Legislature to expand employer liability for harassment of employees and other specified persons effective January 1, 2019, making it far easier for workers to sue and bring their cases to trial. Release and Waiver Agreements Prohibited: Except for certain negotiated settlement agreements […]
Construction Accidents Kill Two with Resulting Large Fines against the Employers Two recent Cal/OSHA cases underscore the need for effective safety measures, especially in hazardous conditions. Cal/OSHA cited two employers after an employee of each died as the result of a trench collapse. In April 2018, Bay Construction Co. was installing underground pump equipment at […]
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced its 2019 optional standard mileage reimbursement rate for employee business use of a personal vehicle, effective January 1, 2019, increasing from 54.5 cents to 58 cents. The IRS calculates the rate annually based on a study of fixed and variable automotive operating costs, including insurance, repairs, maintenance, gas […]