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California

Northstate restaurants face $1.8 million in W&H citations

12/24/2013
State Labor officials have fined two Ukiah restaurants more than $1.8 million for wage-and-hour violations involving 47 workers over a three-year period. The complaint alleged the workers were not paid minimum wage or proper overtime.

L.A. approves $1.5 million police harassment settlement

12/24/2013
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has approved a settlement payment of nearly $1.5 million to LAPD Officer Earl Wright, signaling the end of the city’s long legal fight with the veteran cop, who sued for racial harassment.

Sad but true: Sick employee may not get unemployment

12/24/2013
When an employee who would other­­wise qualify for unemployment benefits can’t work because she’s too ill, she loses her eligibility.

Warn bosses: No griping about pregnancy-related absences

12/24/2013

Some bosses openly resent it when subordinates announce that they’re pregnant. Warn them to never do or say anything that indicates anger, disappointment or annoyance.

Negotiating union contracts: Seek attorney’s help when drafting arbitration clause

12/24/2013
While having a union in the workplace may not be ideal, having a union contract in place clarifies many of the work rules your employees must follow, as well as how your disciplinary process must work.

You want loyalty? Get a dog! Or include it in employee training

12/24/2013
You may think that employees understand their obligations when they sign noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements designed to prevent them from jumping ship and stealing your clients. Don’t make that assumption.

When employees help sick relatives, beware disability association discrimination

12/24/2013
Employers that discriminate against employees who “associate” with disabled individuals face potential liability under the Cali­­for­­nia Fair Employ­­ment and Hous­­ing Act (FEHA). This kind of discrimination comes in many forms.

Ensure bosses understand break obligations

12/24/2013
Ignorance of the law—and labor regulations—is no excuse. If your supervisors don’t understand that they need to give employees regular breaks and an uninterrupted meal period, they’re likely to trigger a class-action lawsuit.

How to prevent hostile environment claims

12/24/2013

Employers confronted with sexual harassment claims generally do one of two things: either ignore the problem and hope it goes away or face it head on. Ignoring it is, of course, the wrong decision.

Should we use arbitration agreements to help resolve employment disputes?

12/03/2013
In California, companies adopting arbitration agreements face a number of difficult decisions in crafting their agreements to ensure that they will be enforceable while also maximizing the benefits of arbitration.