Back in 2012, I blogged about the federal EEOC adopting strict guidelines that limited an employer’s ability to make hiring decisions based on an applicant’s criminal history. You can find my 2012 blog post here. In the aftermath of the EEOC issuing its new guidelines, many local jurisdictions began debating whether to adopt “ban the… Read More
Your Emotional Intelligence Impacts Your Success as an Employee
According to an article by Daniel Goleman and Richard E. Boyatzis in today’s Harvard Business Review, an employee’s emotional intelligence — often referred to simply as “EQ” or “EI” — is a predictor of success in the workplace. EI contains four different major categories of intelligence: (1) self-awareness, (2) self-management, (3) social awareness, and (4) relationship… Read More
U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Determine Legality of Class Action Waivers in Employee Arbitration Agreements
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether class action waivers in employee arbitration agreements violate federal law. This is a huge development, with potentially far-reaching implications for many California employers. But, first, a little background (okay, actually it’s a lot of background, but it’s important) — Advantages of Arbitration Many employers require their… Read More
Here’s How to Be a Better Employee in 2017
According to Fast Company, there are 10 things you should be doing to be a better employee in 2017: (1) Strengthen your “soft skills,” especially your emotional intelligence and active listening. (2) Show gratitude to colleagues. (3) Make more connections and collaborate more across your company. (4) Create your own development program for learning that… Read More
CA Supreme Court: Employees Must Be Relieved of All Duties During Rest Breaks
Yesterday, the California Supreme Court ruled in Augustus v. ABM Security Services, Inc. that employers must relieve employees of all work duties during their 10-minute rest breaks. This landmark decision now means that employers must treat rest breaks and meal breaks the same — and that employers must relinquish all control over employees during both… Read More
Governor Brown Signs SB 1063, Broadening the Fair Pay Act to Include Race
California already has the nation’s most progressive fair pay law, known as the “Fair Pay Act.” I blogged about that new law, which was passed in October 2015, here. But now, with Governor Brown recently signing SB 1063, California’s Fair Pay Act is even more expansive. Whereas the original Fair Pay Act was aimed at… Read More
New IRS Mileage Rates for 2017
Beginning January 1, 2017, the new standard IRS mileage rates are: (a) $0.535/mile for business miles driven; (b) $0.17/mile for medical or moving purposes; and (c) $0.14/mile for service to charitable organizations. Employers that use the standard IRS rates for employee reimbursement purposes should review and adjust their expense reimbursement policies to be consistent with… Read More
San Jose Voters Approve Ballot Measure E
San Jose voters passed Ballot Measure E in the recent November 2016 elections. This new law, sometimes called the “Opportunity to Work Ordinance,” requires that covered San Jose employers offer existing part-time employees additional work hours before hiring any temporary, part-time, or new workers. The new law also imposes additional notice and record-keeping requirements on… Read More
Federal Judge Blocks New Department of Labor Overtime Rules, Including Minimum Salary Required for Exemptions
Last week, a federal judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction preventing the U.S. Department of Labor from implementing its new overtime rules that were scheduled to go into effect on December 1, 2016. Among other things, these new overtime rules would have required employers to pay “exempt” employees at least $47,476/year beginning on December… Read More
California Minimum Wage Increases to $10.50 on January 1, 2017
For businesses with more than 25 employees, the state’s minimum wage will increase from $10.00/hour to $10.50/hour starting on January 1, 2017. [Note: Employers in San Francisco and Oakland (and many other municipalities), however, this new state minimum wage is still lower than the local minimum wage required by municipal law. For example, the San Francisco… Read More
