Mat Honan at Gizmodo wrote recently about a new company that helps employers search applicant’s “internet background” to assist in the hiring process. As Mat rightly points out, much of the concern over this “new technology” is overblown, and as he puts it, "[e]mployers would have to be stupid not to Google job candidates."
California Employment Law Podcast – AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion Decision On Class Action Waivers And Arbitration Agreements
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UFC’s Social Networking Policy – Something All Employers Should Consider
I like the UFC’s approach to social media, but is this a model a lot of employers could use in their workplace? Absolutely. Unless you find yourself with the few who are still wondering what Twitter is, it is obvious that social networking is here to stay and companies need to figure out a way
Can a California employee agree to accept a portion of their tips to count towards minimum wage?
A reader of the California Employment Law Report asks if it is possible to have employees enter into an agreement that would allow the employer to count a portion of the employees’ tips towards the minimum wage requirement. “Tip credit” is recognized by many states and it allows employers to count a portion of the
Interview With Guy Kawasaki on Enchantment
I recently had the opportunity to interview Guy Kawasaki about his New York Times best selling book Enchantment. I like to think of the interview as an extra chapter to Enchantment specifically for business owners and human resource managers about how to effectively manage employees. We spoke about the following topics:
- HR departments should
Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki
Apple, Virgin America, 1965 Ford Mustang, and Mike Rowe. These are examples of Guy Kawasaki’s idea of Enchantment. In his new book he sets out to help readers understand what enchantment is in order to strive to be enchanting. Some have called it an update of How To Win Friends And 
Influence People
When Must Employers Pay For On-Call or Standby Time?
The DLSE takes the view that, on-call or standby time at the work site is considered hours worked for which the employee must be compensated even if the employee does nothing but wait for something to happen. “[A]n employer, if he chooses, may hire a man to do nothing or to do nothing but wait
Reader Question – Workplace Relationships
Q: Is it “Illegal” to work with a relative as your co-worker or supervisor, or is it left up to the facility/business to make rules regarding how/who they hire as their employees?
There is nothing in California law that prohibits family members from working together. However, many companies institute non-fraternization or anti-nepotism policies as a
Medical Marijuana Raising New Employment Law Issues
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday about the difficulties employers are facing when employees are found to have marijuana in their systems while at work. The article notes employees are asking if they could use their company-provided flex spending accounts to purchase the medical marijuana. There are many issues that will have to be
Waitress fired for Facebook post
This week the internet is buzzing about a waitress who was fired for making disparaging comments on Facebook about a customer. It was inevitable, and if employers have not realized it yet, this story should bring the point home that social networking is yet another issue employers need to take a proactive step in