You are busy. You’re a small-business owner with a to-do list a mile long. Or maybe you’re a manager or HR professional being pulled in fifteen different directions.
Also, employment law is complex and demanding (especially in California). Even simple things like updating your handbook to address 2020 changes feels like a
This week’s Friday’s Five covers five huge misconceptions about California employment law that can land employers into huge legal trouble:
1. Meal and rest breaks seem so trivial.
The topic may seem trivial for companies that have not faced this litigation before, or for out of state employers who wrongly believe California cannot be much
In 2015 the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed increasing the salary employees must receive in order to be classified as exempt. The DOL finalized the rules and the changes are pending before the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. If approved, it is likely that the final rules would take effect late summer
Let me start with the lawyer’s disclaimer up-front: this Friday’s Five list has no scientific or statistical backing whatsoever, I generated it based on the cases I’ve been litigating in 2014. My experience may be (and probably is) skewed a bit, but nevertheless California employers should pay attention to the following areas of potential litigation.
1. Meal and rest breaks.
If you did not know of this exposure already existed in California, can I recommend some reading here, here and here? 
2. Exempt vs. non-exempt classification of employees.
The default under California law is that every employee is entitled to overtime pay at a rate of time and