Recruiting and retaining talent is a challenge for every employer, especially in the red-hot economy here in the Bay Area. That’s why many employers are taking a fresh look at their employee benefits and asking, “Are these benefits really adding value?” A recent article in Forbes explains how “forward thinking” employers are embracing a new theory of… Read More
Posts Categorized In: HR Strategy
Have You Completed Your Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training?
As we blogged about previously, a new law came into effect January 1, 2019 requiring California employers with five or more employees to provide sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training for all employees by January 1, 2020. Prior to this new law, only employers with 50 or more employees were required to provide at… Read More
Incentive Compensation Systems Negatively Impact Employee Mental Health?
In a first-of-its-kind academic study that looked at both employee compensation and medical records, researchers at Washington University found that employee health and wellness declines as the employer shifts compensation towards bonuses and other incentive and performance-based compensation systems. In particular, the study showed that, as an employer moves towards a bonus-focused, pay-for-performance model of… Read More
Employee’s “Imprecise” Memory is Sufficient if Employer Fails to Keep Records
In Furry v. East Bay Publishing, the California Court of Appeal held that an employee’s “imprecise” memory is sufficient evidence to support his claim for wages and overtime owed when the employer fails to keep accurate records of the employee’s work hours. The employer in Furry did not keep track of the hours its employees worked…. Read More
Employers Beware: Call-In Scheduling Policies Trigger Reporting Time Pay
The California Court of Appeal recently ruled in Ward v. Tilly’s Inc. that employers who utilize “on call” scheduling have to pay reporting time pay to their employees. This decision is sending shockwaves through California’s restaurant and retail industries because it will significantly increase payroll costs for those employers — and all others who require… Read More
2019 Brings New Laws and Obligations for California Employers
Last year was a busy legislative year in California. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements in particular spawned a host of new employment laws that took effect on January 1st. If you haven’t done so already, you should review your employee handbook and personnel policies to make sure that you are in compliance with these new laws. SB… Read More
Smart Onboarding Improves Employee Retention
Concerned about employee retention? You are not alone. A global study by McKinsey stated retention of top talent as the number one challenge CEO’s are currently facing. In a recent article in Forbes Magazine, Heidi Lynn Kurter takes a closer look at businesses with higher retention rates and how that rate is directly correlated to… Read More
Using Supply Chains to Combat Sexual Harassment
In a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, New America’s Better Life Lab presented findings that sexual harassment was “severe, pervasive, and widespread” across all industries. It exists equally in both low-income and high-income jobs, and in both male-dominated and female-dominated occupations. It is, unfortunately, everywhere. That conclusion did not surprise me. What… Read More
Want Honest Employee Feedback? Try These Strategies
An article in the October 2018 issue of Entrepreneur surveyed successful entrepreneurs on one question — How do you encourage your employees to give you honest feedback? Their responses were both interesting and practical. One entrepreneur talked about the importance of establishing a culture that welcomes honest feedback. She makes it a point to ask her established… Read More
Governor Brown Signs SB 1343 Expanding Sexual Harassment Training Obligations
On September 30, 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 1343 which will lower the number of employees required to trigger mandatory sexual harassment training. Currently, any California employer with 50 or more employees is required to provide at least 2 hours of sexual harassment training to all supervisory employees within 6 months of assuming… Read More
