On April 17, 2020, Mayor London Breed signed the San Francisco Public Health Emergency Leave Ordinance (“PHELO”), which was previously passed by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors on April 14, 2020. The PHELO became effective immediately, and San Francisco’s Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (“OLSE”) issued guidelines regarding its provisions the very next day. The… Read More
HR & Employment Law Blog
CA Supreme Court Rules that PAGA Claims Survive Even if Underlying Claims are Settled
California employment law is notoriously volatile. The ever-changing landscape – especially as related to Labor Code violations and cases brought under California’s wide-ranging Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”), which authorizes representative actions for Labor Code violations – can make it challenging for employers to find certainty in how they plan for potential claims and address… Read More
How Well Does “Workplace Wellness” Really Work?
Employee burnout—which we previously blogged about here—is an “occupational phenomenon” characterized by prolonged workplace stress that affects, according to a Gallup survey, about two thirds of full-time employees. Because it is so commonly experienced by the workforce, and because the World Health Organization (WHO) has now exclusively dubbed it a workplace problem, a growing number… Read More
uWait, uWork, iPay
The California Supreme Court recently clarified that California law requires that Apple Inc. pay its workers for all time they spend waiting to be searched before leaving Apple retail stores. In Frlekin v. Apple, Inc., workers at Apple’s retail stores filed a class action lawsuit against Apple Inc. in federal court asserting that they had… Read More
Employers Take Note – To Make Employees Feel Appreciated, Please Don’t Throw a Pizza Party
Sometimes, major life events—the death of a relative, a natural disaster, a global health crisis—help people stop and realize that the little things in life are, in fact, the big things. Perhaps you’ll be more inclined to notice the sweet-smelling roses on your walk; maybe you’ll appreciate the shape of a cloud overhead. As it… Read More
The Federal CARES Act Provides Some Relief for Small Businesses Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
On March 27, 2020, Congress voted to enact The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on the same day. The CARES Act is the most recent in a wave of federal legislation passed in an effort to counter the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic…. Read More
U.S. Department of Labor Issues Guidance on the FFCRA
As we discussed in a previous blog post which you can find here, the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) created two new paid leave entitlements employees working in companies with fewer than 500 employees. We are referring to these new entitlements as Emergency FMLA Leave and Emergency Paid Sick Leave, respectively. Since the… Read More
When “Shelter At Home” Includes “Work From Home” – Legal and Practical Issues
Many businesses have some experience with employees working remotely whether from allowing certain employees to telecommute, employees traveling for business, or otherwise. Until recently, though, very few California employers had 100% of their workforce working remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly changed that. Today—and for the indefinite future—all California employers in “non-essential” businesses who are… Read More
New Guidance On Paid Sick Leave for San Francisco Employees
On March 24, 2020, the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (“OLSE”) issued guidance regarding how employees can use paid sick leave they have accrued pursuant to San Francisco’s local ordinance during the local health emergency San Francisco is experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. San Francisco’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Under the San… Read More
The “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” Creates Two New Kinds of Paid Leave
On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) into law. This post is focused on two provisions that will be of particular importance to employers. EMERGENCY EXPANSION OF THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT Under a portion of the FFCRA called The Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act… Read More