On May 8, 2018, the court in Ibarra v. Wells Fargo Bank entered an order awarding Plaintiffs who filed a class action against the bank $97.2 million for rest break violations. The original complaint alleged various wage and hour violations, and after the parties filed cross motions for summary judgment, all but the rest
I just updated my Facebook settings to prohibit the software company from conducting facial recognition scans on my photos today due to a notification from Facebook that its software would be analyzing my likeness to automatically recognize me in photos posted on Facebook. This was a coincidence because today I spoke at the American Bar
Clients come to my firm often frustrated by California employment laws and their complexity, the raising costs of doing business in California (such as the higher minimum wage), and the legal system in general. I have to agree that California poses one of the most difficult business environments businesses have to operate within, but I
In a huge development in the last couple of weeks, a change in federal law now permits California employers to include back of the house employees in tip pools. This week’s post is an update and a general discussion about issues facing restaurants, hotels, and other industries where tipping and gratuities are left for
I just posted a new video on my YouTube channel about the issues facing employers with the state and local minimum wage increases in 2018 (embedded below). At the end of the first quarter in 2018, it is a good time to review compliance with the state and local minimum wage laws, and to start
California employment law is a mind field that carries huge exposure for employers not proactively monitoring legal developments and potential legal issues. There are some statements employers in California should never make, and this Friday’s Five reviews misaligned statements that can create significant liability for an employer.
1. My company has employment practices liability insurance
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on October 2, 2017 in Epic System Corp. v. Lewis. And while the case may not make headline news, it has very important ramifications for employers across the country. At issue is whether employers can legally compel employees to enter into arbitration agreements which contain class action
It has been a few years that the California Supreme Court issued its groundbreaking ruling in Brinker Restaurant Group v. Superior Court. With the end of the year approaching and employers preparing for the new year and the new legal obligations that come with it, now is a good time for employers to audit meal
Happy Friday. Through my defense of wage claims this year, I found that employers need to establish and periodically review issues pertaining to employees’ timekeeping. This Friday’s Five is a list of the top five timekeeping issues that employers should routinely audit:
1. Establish and communicate a time keeping policy
Employers should establish and regularly
With the end of summer quickly approaching, this Friday’s Five (and next week’s post as well) covers broad topics employers should review periodically. Today’s post covers five questions a company operating in California should be asking on a routine basis:
1. Has the company reviewed and updated the employee handbook and related policies?
As discussed