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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
I came across an interesting article today in the Harvard Business Review about employee terminations. The author, who is a digital media executive and Adjunct Professor of Management at Columbia University, argues that “transparent separation” is a more humane approach to employee termination that is “highly underused given…
On July 9, 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2770 which protects both sexual harassment victims and their employers from being sued for libel, slander, or defamation in connection with allegations of sexual harassment. AB 2770 also gives an employer permission to tell a prospective new employer…
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has just concluded a major study on sexual harassment. It offers some interesting new insights relevant to California employers and employees. According to the study, the strongest predictor of whether sexual harassment will occur (or not) in the workplace is…