Posts Tagged ‘Employer Rights’
EMPLOYEE HOLIDAY PARTY OPTIONAL IN CALIFORNIA
California’s Department of Labor Standards Enforcement website explains that a non-union employer has full discretion: a) to close the business on any holiday; b) to give employees the day off for any particular holiday; or c) to pay employees taking a holiday off. In this state, hours worked on holidays are not considered differently from […]
MINIMUM WAGE AND EMPLOYEE TIPS
“Tip Credit” Law Not Valid in California The food industry is prone to violations of some very unforgiving minimum wage and overtime compensation rules. For example, some restaurant owners and managers mistakenly presume they can pay employees less than the hourly minimum wage ($8.00/hour in California; $7.25 federal law) if workers can make up the […]
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING
Inquiries are Limited to Job-Related Skills and Qualities While a manager’s “gut instinct” might work when choosing which candidate to hire, it might not. Employing an individual who makes a seemingly great first impression in an interview but who turns out to be a dud or hell-on-wheels once in the stress of the working environment […]
DEFINING EMPLOYEE PRIVACY
When Does Legitimate “Need-to-Know” Cross the Line? Businesses have valid interests in accessing potentially sensitive employee information as long as that access is reasonably necessary to maintain workplace safety and security. On the other hand, companies must respect worker privacy on matters that are irrelevant to administration and operations. Clear, comprehensive written policy is essential […]
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL IN THE WORKPLACE
Balancing Worker Privacy with an Employer’s Rights to Protect Safety A worker intoxicated or under the influence of drugs on the job can not only be detrimental to productivity, but extremely dangerous to safety of the employee and those around him or her. Maintaining a comprehensive written drug and alcohol policy – covering testing, prevention, […]
WRITTEN SALARY AGREEMENTS AND OVERTIME
California Appeals Decision Confirms Salary Agreements for Hourly Employees That Foreclose Overtime Claims A February 7, 2011 California Court of Appeal decision permits explicit written salary wage agreements for hourly workers that include overtime compensation within that set weekly amount. In Arechiga v. Dolores Press, a former employee sued for alleged unpaid overtime. Working as […]
EXPECTING PRIVACY AT WORK? FUGEDDABOUTIT!
The 411 on Email and Texting Policies With the prevalence of workplace email and texting, businesses should consider publishing sound written policies on expected etiquette and on management’s ability to access and monitor such electronic communications. For lack of such guidelines and rules, employees should not be left with the impression that their privacy rights […]