It may come as a surprise, but Stephen Colbert is human, and like the rest of us, has a mother. He has taken a leave of absence from his show to apparently spend time with his ailing mother. An article I read recently notes how Colbert’s leave could trigger family medical leave. I thought the article does fine explaining family and medical leave, but given Colbert’s importance to The Colbert Report, it is also a good reminder about a narrow exemption to an employee’s reinstatement rights if they are a “key employee.”

Basic Medical Leave Rights
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) both provide employees the opportunity to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain “qualified” events. Employers with 50 or more employees (part-time employees are counted to make this determination) are covered by the FMLA and CFRA. Employees who have worked for at least 12 months and at least 1,250 hours in the immediately preceding 12 months are covered by the laws. However, employers do not need to provide the leave if the employee works at a location with fewer than 50 employees within a 75-mile radius.

“Key Employee” Exception
If the employee is covered by the FMLA or CFRA the employee is entitled to return to his or her former position, or a position that is equivalent to the previous position held with equivalent benefits, pay, and conditions of employment. The small exception to this is for “key employees.” A key employee is defined as a salaried employee who is the highest paid 10% of employees within a 75-mile radius. If the key employee’s reinstatement would cause “substantial and grievous economic injury” to the employer, then the key employee may be denied reinstatement. However, when the employee takes the leave of absence, the employer must provide notice to the employee that he or she is a “key employee” and explain their reinstatement rights. If the employer fails to do so at the time the employee goes on the leave of absence, it loses the ability to deny reinstatement to the employee under the “key employee” exception.

No need to worry about Colbert though. It is being reported that Colbert will be returning to our televisions tonight.

California’s new labor code provision severely restricts an employer’s ability to conduct credit checks on employees. Labor Code 1024.5, which took effect on January 1, 2012, only allows employers to conduct credit checks for employees who meet one of the following categories:

    • A managerial position.

    • A position in the state Department of Justice.

    • That of a sworn peace officer or other law enforcement position.

    • A position for which the information contained in the report is required by law to be disclosed or obtained.

    • A position that involves regular access, for any purpose other than the routine solicitation and processing of credit card applications in a retail establishment, to all of the following types of information of any one person: (A) Bank or credit card account information. (B) Social security number. (C) Date of birth.

    • A position in which the person is, or would be, any of the following: (A) A named signatory on the bank or credit card account of the employer. (B) Authorized to transfer money on behalf of the employer. (C) Authorized to enter into financial contracts on behalf of the employer.

    • A position that involves access to confidential or proprietary information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, process or trade secret that (i) derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who may obtain economic value from the disclosure or use of the information, and (ii) is the subject of an effort that is reasonable under the circumstances to maintain secrecy of the information.

    • A position that involves regular access to cash totaling ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more of the employer, a customer, or client, during the workday.

A “managerial position” is defined as an employee who qualifies for the executive exemption set forth in the Industrial Welfare Commission’s Wage Orders. The test of who qualifies as an exempt executive is very detailed, and it is determined by the amount of pay and actual duties the employee performs. So employers need to approach this prong with caution and obtain guidance to ensure the employee actually qualifies as an exempt executive.

The new law also added the requirement under California Civil Code section 1785.20.5 that employers must notify the employee in writing of the basis in Labor Code section 1024.5 as set forth above that applies to permit the employer to perform the credit check. The new law does not change the other obligations already in effect that employers had to comply with prior to conduct a credit check. These obligations include informing the employee in writing that a credit check would be performed, the source of the credit check, and that the employee may receive a free copy of the credit check. Finally, if an adverse employment action is taken by the employer based on the report, the employee must be notified of the name and address of the reporting agency making the report.

That’s right, my firm, Van Vleck Turner & Zaller LLP is growing, and we are looking for an employment lawyer with at least seven years of California employment litigation experience.  If you or someone you may know is interested, more information about the position can be found here.  The ideal attorney should be able to work in an entrepreneurial setting, enjoy the practice of law, and enjoy working with every size of client.   Cover letters and resumes can be submitted to me. 

 

2012 Requirement

Source

 

California Minimum Wage

 

 

$8.00 per hour (unchanged from previous years)

 

California’s Industrial Welfare Commission

 

San Francisco Minimum Wage

 

 

$10.24 per hour

 

City of San Francisco

Computer Professional Exempt Salary Rate

 

 

 

$38.89 or annual salary of not less than $81,026.25 for full-time employment, and paid not less than $6,752.19 per month

 

 

Division of Labor Statistics and Research

 

Hourly Physicians Exempt Hourly Rate

 

 

$70.86 per hour

 

Division of Labor Statistics and Research

 

IRS Mileage Rate

 

 

 

55.5 cents per mile for business miles driven

 

 

Internal Revenue Service

Today the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (“DLSE”) published a template that employers can use in order to comply with the new notice requirements set forth in Labor Code section 2810.5. A Word version can be downloaded here and a PDF version can be downloaded here.

All California employers are required to provide a notice to all employees hired beginning on January 1, 2012 that complies with the requirements of section 2810.5. The new law required the Labor Commissioner to publish a template for employers to use in order to comply with the new law. For more information regarding the notice, and the new law, see my previous post.

I’ve only had a chance to do a quick review of the template, but one area of new information that the DLSE is apparently requiring on the notice is whether the “employment agreement” is oral or written in the wage information section of the template. The new Labor Code section 2810.5 did not require this to be on the notice to the employee, but the law does provide that there may be “[o]ther information added by the Labor Commissioner as material and necessary.” I am wondering if the fact that all employers are required to provide this information on the form necessary means that the “employment agreement” is therefore always going to be written.

I’ve recently written a series of posts regarding the Berman hearing process available for employees to resolve wage disputes before the Labor Commissioner. See previous posts: Overview Of Berman Hearings Before The Labor Commissioner and How To Prepare For a Berman Hearing. But can an employer have an employee sign an arbitration agreement in which the employee agrees to waive any rights to a Berman hearing, and all claims against the employer must proceed directly to arbitration? A good question, to which there is not currently an answer. The issue is currently under review by the California Supreme Court in the case Sonic-Calabasas A, Inc. v. Moreno. 

This also leads to the issue of why might an employer want to have all claims proceed directly to arbitration, and skip-over the Berman hearing. As the California Supreme Court stated in its initial review of the Sonic-Calabasas case in early 2011, the Berman hearing provides the employee a number of benefits:

These provisions include the Labor Commissioner’s representation in the superior court of employees unable to afford counsel, the requirement that the employer post an undertaking in the amount of the award, and a one-way attorney fee provision that requires an employer that is unsuccessful in the appeal to pay the employee’s attorney fees.

It is an interesting background on how the Sonic-Calabasas case proceeded through the Courts. The California Supreme Court has already ruled on the Sonic-Calabasas case in the early part of 2011. At that time, the Court held that a waiver of the Berman hearing process in the arbitration agreement was unconscionable and contrary to public policy, and was not preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). Therefore, the California Supreme Court ruled that this waiver of the Berman hearing process was not an enforceable provision of the arbitration agreement. However, shortly after this ruling, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, a separate case out of California in which the US Supreme Court held that the FAA preempted California law and found that a class action waiver provision in arbitration agreements can be enforceable. For more information on AT&T Mobility you can listen to my podcast on the case here. The employer in Sonic-Calabasas A v. Moreno filed an appeal with the US Supreme Court to review the California Supreme Court’s ruling invalidating the Berman hearing waiver in the arbitration agreement. The US Supreme Court granted review, but recently sent the case back to the California Supreme Court to review the case again and to apply the standards set forth in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion. So, we are waiting for the California Supreme Court to review the issue once again to have a definitive answer to the question.

The new law affecting every employer in California is the Wage Theft Protection Act of 2011. It takes effect on January 1, 2012 and adds additional notice and record keeping requirements that employers must comply with. The new law added Labor Code section 2810.5, which requires private employers to provide all new employees with a written notice that contains certain information.

The new law requires private employers to provide all newly-hired, non-overtime-exempt employees with a disclosure containing the following information:

(a) The job rate or rates of pay and whether it pays by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or otherwise, including any rates for overtime.
(b) Any allowances claimed as part of the minimum wage, such as for uniforms, meals, and lodging.
(c) The employer’s regular payday, subject to the Labor Code.
(d) The employer’s name, including any “doing business as” names used.
(e) The address of the employer’s main office or principal place of business, and its mailing address, if different.
(f) The employer’s telephone number.
(g) The name, address, and telephone number of the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier.
(h) Other information added by the Labor Commissioner as material and necessary.

The new law also requires employers to notify employees in writing of any changes to the information in the notice within seven calendar days of any changes, unless the changes are reflected on a timely wage statement that complies with Labor code Section 226. Employers also do not need to notify employees of any changes if the change is provided in another writing required by law within seven days of the changes.

The new law requires the Labor Commissioner to publish a template for employers to follow in order to comply with the law. The Labor Commissioner’s website states it is “anticipated” and the template will be published in mid-December. However, as of the publishing of this post, the Labor Commissioner has not yet published the template.

There is no prescribed requirement in the law about how long this notice should be retained, but as wage and hour violations contain a four year statute of limitations, these notices should be retained in the employee’s personnel file for four years. It is also important to note that the new law does not apply to exempt employees. However, if there is ever a challenge to the employee’s classification as exempt and they are found to be non-exempt, this provision could result in increased penalties. Therefore, it may be wise to complete this form for exempt employees just as a safety precaution.

My last post provided an overview of the Berman hearing process when an employee begins a claim for unpaid wages with the Labor Commissioner. If the parties do not settle the claim at the settlement hearing, then the matter will be set for a Berman hearing pursuant to Labor Code 98(a). The Berman hearing was designed to provide both parties a quick and easy way to resolve wage disputes. I like to think of it as very similar to a small claims proceeding. However, unlike small claims court which can only hear cases were the amount in dispute is $7,500 or less, the Labor Commissioner can hear and rule upon wage claims of any size. 

The formality of the Berman hearing varies dramatically from the Deputy Labor Commissioner who presides over the hearing. Some of the Deputy Labor Commissioners like the hearings to proceed in a very formal manner, much like a civil trial, while others are very hands off. Generally, each side will present their case, and will have the ability to cross-examine the other parties and witnesses. There are no set rules on how the hearings are supposed to be conducted, such as which party must present evidence first. I’ve even had a Deputy Labor Commissioner take a witness out of logical order of testifying in order to accommodate the witness’s schedule. The rules of evidence do not apply, so the process can take many different forms. Also, as I mentioned in my post describing an overview of the Berman hearing process, parties may have a lawyer represent them in front of the Labor Commissioner, but it is not required.

Unlike a civil trial, parties preparing for a Berman hearing generally are not allowed to conduct discovery to get a preview of the facts and witnesses the other side will present. So preparation for a Berman hearing may be a bit of guesswork, it is usually possible for the employer to get a good idea of the employee’s claims from the face of the complaint and the facts and issues that were discussed during the settlement conference. There are, however, a few items employers should do when preparing to defend a claim at a Berman hearing:

  • Prepare an opening statement setting forth what the evidence will show during the course of the hearing. Again, while some Deputy Labor Commissioners may simply start the proceeding without an opening statement, it is a good practice to have a short 5 minute summary of what your evidence will show.
  • Prepare an outline of the issues each witness will testify to. This helps streamline the testimony, and ensures that all of the items necessary areas are covered.
  • Prepare an outline for points to make during a cross-examination of the employee (as well as any potential witnesses).
  • Bring relevant witnesses to the hearing.
  • Bring the appropriate documents to use as exhibits.

Before the hearing beings, all of the witnesses are sworn in and the testimony given during the hearing is recorded by an audio recorder. This is why it is important to be prepared, know the law, and to know which admissions are important to obtain. If the employer appeals the Labor Commissioner’s ruling, both parties may obtain a copy of the audio recording of the Berman hearing. It is very critical to know the issues, and the use the Berman hearing as a way to get testimony in order to assist your case if there is an appeal of the Labor Commissioner’s ruling.

I’ve had a lot of interest from clients lately about the details of the administrative hearing process that employees can pursue before the California Labor Commissioner. With this interest, and just having represented a client at a Berman hearing this week, I wanted to explain the process in a series of posts. 

An employee seeking recovery of unpaid wages has two options to pursue recovery: (1) file a civil lawsuit or (2) file a wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner under Labor Code section 98 et. seq. If the employee pursues her rights through the Labor Commissioner, the Commissioner will send notice to the employer regarding a settlement conference. This settlement conference is an informal conference during which a Deputy Labor Commissioner attempts to settle the case. Both parties may present their arguments, but the Deputy Labor Commissioner does not issue a ruling or decide any issues at this settlement conference.

If the settlement conference does not result in a settlement, the case will be set for an administrative hearing, known as a Berman hearing, pursuant to Labor Code section 98(a). During the Berman hearing, both parties can present their cases through testimony, witnesses, and documents. The hearings are basically mini-trials, but the formal rules of evidence do not apply. Moreover, parties do not need to be represented by a lawyer, but lawyers are regularly present to assist in presenting the evidence. The parties’ and witnesses’ testimony is under the penalty of perjury and the deputy labor commissioner records the hearing, and this audio recording can be obtained by the parties at a later date. The Deputy Labor Commissioner is supposed to issue an order, decision, or award setting forth the rational for his or her decision within 15 days of the Berman hearing. However, it has been my experience that the order, decision, or award is not usually issued in this time period given the drastic cuts in budgets and the huge workload facing the Labor Commissioner.

The Labor Commissioner’s award is binding on both parties, and is an enforceable judgment in Superior Court. The award, however, may be appealed to Superior Court by either party. 

All too common is the assumption that because a company’s policies comply with Federal law, and perhaps other states’ laws, the policy should be fine under California law. This wrong assumption is clearly illustrated by a recent study by Expedia that estimates employees forfeit $34.3 billion in unused vacation time across the U.S. From what I’ve read, I do not see any adjustment in the study for the fact that such use-it-or-lose-it vacation policies are illegal under California law.

California law is clear that while paid vacations are not required, if a California employer provides for paid vacations, these benefits are considered wages and are earned by the employee on a pro rata basis for each day of work. Moreover, because vacation is a form of deferred wages and vests as it is earned, vacation wages cannot be forfeited – so no "use-it-or-lose-it" policies. An employer can place a reasonable cap on vacation benefits that prevents an employee from earning vacation over a certain amount of hours, and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement has opined that a cap that allows at least nine months for the employee to use the vacation after the vacation was earned is a reasonable cap. See DSLE Enforcement Policies and Interpretations Manual section 15.1.4.1. Moreover, Labor Code section 227.3 requires that when an employment relationship ends all vacation earned but not yet taken by the employee must be paid at the time of termination.