One policy that I find is usually not given the attention it deserves when drafting employee 
handbooks is the policy for vacation time. There are numerous rules about how employees earn vacation, and it is often tricky to draft a proper policy without someone experienced in this area. Many out-of-state employers assume that their policy
Five exempt employee classifications all California employers should understand
I apologize for the long post in advance, but I’ve been receiving many questions about exempt vs. non-exempt classification of employees lately. This article is the first in a series of articles to help employers tread through this technical area, hopefully in a manner that makes it at least somewhat easier for employers to understand.
Five indispensable items employers must know about California’s Wage Theft Protection Act’s Notice to Employee
The Wage Theft Protection act of 2011 added Labor Code section 2810.5 requiring all private California employers to provide a written notice containing specific information to non-exempt employees upon hire. Below are five indispensable items employers should understand about the Notice to Employee (“Notice”) required under the law.
1. All private employers, regardless of size
Five errors that make defending an employment lawsuit harder
In litigation, the following five issues make defending an employment lawsuit much more difficult. 
1. No documentation.
No matter what type of employment litigation is at issue – wage and hour claims, leave issues, or harassment claims – the amount of documentation an employer has dramatically increases the odds of prevailing in litigation. I would
Five New Year’s resolutions for California employers in 2015
Happy New Year. I started the Friday’s Five articles at the beginning of last summer, and 
the interest in the articles has been astounding, so I appreciate everyone who has read them and provided comments and feedback. If you have any topics you would like me to address, please let me know. With that
Top five employment law class action claims for California employers in 2014
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.
Areas employers should review as part of their yearly audit – part two
In my last post, I wrote about what steps employers should talk to comply with the new employment laws for 2015. This post discusses more generally what employers should audit on a yearly basis. And with the year coming to a close, now is a great time to review these five items:
1. Expense reimbursement
Sick leave poster and revised Notice to Employee published by Division of Labor Standards Enforcement: All California employers must use starting January 1, 2015
The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) published a new poster employers are required to post regarding California’s new sick leave law. Under the new law (Labor Code Section 247) employers are required to display a poster in a conspicuous place requiring certain information about the new rights of employees to receive paid sick
Five things to know about time off for holidays and holiday pay under California law
Happy Holidays! With the holidays upon us, it is a good time for employers to review their holiday schedule and these five reminders about holidays and holiday pay under California law.
1. California employers are not required to provide employees time off for holidays.
There is no requirement that California employers provide time off (except
Friday’s Five: Five new laws for 2015 that employers should review
Below are five new laws going into effect in 2015 that California employers should know about 
before the start of 2015. Employers should also take time and review their current policies to ensure compliance for the new year.
1. Mandatory paid sick leave.
You’ve probably been beaten over the head from emails from your employment lawyer