California Labor Code §226 itemizes the many pieces of information that must be contained on an employee’s wage statement. These include the gross wages earned, the total number of regular and overtime hours worked, the deductions, the net wages earned, and the legal name and address of the…
Earlier today, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2337, a bill that requires employers with 25 or more employees to provide notice to employees of their right to take protected time off, without threat of termination or retaliation, for domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. This notice must…
According to a recent article in Forbes magazine, workplace bullying is “frighteningly common,” with 75% of all workers reporting that they have been the target of abusive behavior at work. Workplace bullying is defined by the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) as “repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the…
Beginning January 1, 2016, the new standard IRS mileage rates are: $0.54/mile for business miles driven; $0.19/mile for medical or moving purposes; and $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…
On October 2, 2015, Governor Brown signed AB 1506 which amends California’s Private Attorney General Act (“PAGA”) to allow employers the cure certain pay stub violations which otherwise could have triggered PAGA liability. Under existing California law, an employer must present each employee with an itemized pay stub…
In today’s Harvard Business Review, I came across a good article that discusses practical tips for how to professionally and respectfully terminate a struggling employee. The employee is a good person, and was at one time a productive and positive team member, but things have changed and you…
On November 25, 2004, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a first-in-the-nation “Retail Workers Bill of Rights.” This new legislation requires “formula retail” employers (chain stores with at least 20 outlets worldwide) who have 20 or more employees in San Francisco to provide the following job protections:…
Earlier today, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2053. This new law requires that mandatory sexual harassment training now include information about “abusive conduct” in the workplace. Abusive conduct is defined to include: “Conduct of an employer or employee in the workplace, with malice, that a reasonable person…
Yesterday, the federal government announced several regulatory changes that extend marriage benefits to same-sex couples. This announcement — and the legal changes that come with it — are the result of last year’s historic Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Windsor striking down Section 3 of the Defense…
The financial meltdown that began in 2008 caused a lot of finger-pointing: who was to blame and why? Although the list of potential culprits is long and varied — from bank deregulation, to the increased use of credit default swaps and other hyper-complex financing structures, to a “play…