On February 4, 2019, a California Court of Appeal ruled that employees calling their employer to determine if they must come into work is considered reporting to work, and reporting time pay is owed to the employee if they are not required to work that day. The case is Ward v. Tilly’s, Inc. from the
Wage & Hour Law
Wage and hour audit considerations for California employers in 2019
With the start of 2019, I’m writing a series of posts covering employment law areas that employers should audit on a routine basis. The first two articles covered hiring practices and records retention practices. This post covers five wage and hour considerations that every California employer should review on a routine basis:
1. Payroll…
Five employment law developments employers need to heed at the start of 2019
The beginning of 2019 brought substantial employment case settlements and verdicts. This Friday’s Five reviews the settlements and verdicts that should catch the attention of all employers, as well as a review of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new ruling on arbitration agreements for transportation workers:
1. Restaurant settles claim with Labor Commissioner for $4 million…
Records retention audit for 2019
Employers should remember to take time to review their employee documentation, retention policies, and how this information is being saved on a periodic basis. The beginning of 2019 it is a great time to review these items to ensure compliance with the law and to make the best defense against litigation. The first article in…
Considerations for 2019 California minimum wage increase
Happy New Year! This Friday’s five video covers five reminders about the minimum wage increase:
1. As of January 1, 2019, the minimum wage in California increased from $11.00 to $12.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees (the increase is from $10.50 per hour to $11.00 per hour for employers with…
Hiring Practices Audit for 2019
With the start of 2019, it is a great time to audit employment policies and practices. The next series of posts will be a review of a few practices California employers should review on a periodic basis. The posts will cover the following topics: the hiring process, employment records (what should be kept and for…
California Employment Law Report: Holiday Edition
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope everyone is spending some quality time with family members. In part to give me a bit of a break from creating entirely new content, this holiday edition of Friday’s Five is five recent videos from my YouTube channel:
1. Holiday leave policies:
2. Understanding the mediation process:…
Salary increases required for exempt employees in 2019
To qualify as an exempt employee, California requires that an employee must be “primarily engaged in the duties that meet the test of the exemption” and “earns a monthly salary equivalent to no less than two times the state minimum wage for full-time employment.” Labor Code section 515. This forms the two-part test the employees…
When workers volunteer – Issues employers should consider
As we are in the midst of the holiday season, employers need to be mindful about the parameters that may apply when granting employees time off to volunteer, paying employees to volunteer to support a cause, and other potential issues involving volunteer time. This topic was raised as a suggestion from a regular reader of…
Time off for holidays and holiday pay under California law
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone is getting some time to relax and enjoy some time with their families. Entering the holiday season, it is a good time to review employer’s obligations to accommodate requests for time off for holidays and best pay practices during holiday leaves. This Friday’s Five covers five reminders for employers about…