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Wages & Hours

Comparing paychecks: Can we prohibit it?

03/25/2011
Q. You recently wrote that the National Labor Relations Act gives employees the legal right to discuss their pay with one another. Our office policy has always been that we do not allow this. Are we within our legal rights to prohibit it? We are a private medical practice with 88 employees and four offices.

How to discipline employees for working unauthorized OT

03/24/2011
Hourly employees know that if they work overtime, their employer must pay them for the extra hours. That’s true, but it doesn’t mean they can work OT whenever they feel like it. Here’s how to end unauthorized overtime:

Employees, employers embrace S.F. paid leave ordinance

03/23/2011

Employees and employers alike have embraced San Francisco’s generous paid sick leave law, according to a new survey by the nonprofit Institute for Women’s Policy Research. The law, enacted in 2007 after being approved by San Francisco voters, requires employers to credit workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours they work.

What’s the California law on tip credits?

03/22/2011
Q. We are a national restaurant chain that pays our waiters and waitresses less than the minimum wage because they earn tips. We are planning to open our first restaurant in California. Can we continue to pay our tipped employees less than the minimum wage?

Metallica drummer will try to beat overtime lawsuit

03/22/2011
The former personal assistant to Lars Ulrich filed a lawsuit claiming the Metallica drummer violated state and federal laws by failing to pay him overtime. Steven Wiig claimed he worked between 50 and 70 hours per week, on duty at Ulrich’s home, in recording studios and during Metallica’s worldwide tours.

Ask attorney to help set up independent contractor deals

03/22/2011
If you want to create independent contractor relationships, get expert legal advice on how to structure the contract.

Mutual wage agreements may trump OT requirements

03/22/2011
Under limited circumstances, employers and nonexempt employees can agree to set a salary that covers regular work and overtime.

9th Circuit: Pharma reps are salespeople

03/22/2011
Typically, federal courts tend to uphold the U.S. Department of Labor’s interpretations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. But now the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the DOL’s interpretation of what it means to be an outside salesperson under the FLSA.

Firing hourly worker? Starbucks’ big win shows how to handle wage statements and pay

03/22/2011
Terminating an employee is never easy. But thanks to a recent California Court of Appeal decision, at least you don’t have to worry about wage statement violations—if you follow the common sense guidelines the court announced.

37 ways to lower your health care costs

03/22/2011
Average employer-paid health benefit costs have increased about 6% per year for the last five years. At least in the short term, the year-old health care reform law may make the problem even worse. All the more reason to act now to get your health care costs under control. One of the most effective ways: conducting a dependent audit to make sure the people you’re covering are actually eligible for insurance benefits.