On January 30, 2020, three major events occurred: (1) the World Health Organization declared a new virus known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”; (2) the first confirmed instance of person-to-person spread with this virus was reported in the United States; and (3) the U.S. State Department
Human Resources & Workplaces
New Year, New Laws: Ten Employment Updates for 2020
By Emily Reber on
The start of a new year is a great time for employers to look ahead for changes in the law that will affect their organizations. In this blog post, we will lay out some of the key issues that employers can expect to encounter in the year ahead.
- Exempt Salary Increases: On January 1,
…
A-B-C: Not As Easy as 1-2-3 for California Employers to Maintain Independent Contractor Relationships Under AB-5
By Kristalyn Lee on
Posted in Employment Laws, Human Resources & Workplaces
On September 18, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into effect the much-anticipated AB-5 Bill, which imposes heightened standards when assessing whether to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. AB-5 will drastically affect California employers with workforces heavily reliant on independent contractors by forcing them to re-classify independent contractors as employees subject…
Are You Ready for Your Summer Interns?
By Emily Schifter on
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and kids everywhere are counting down the days until summer vacation begins. For many employers, the change in the season brings another big shift: the arrival of summer interns.
Internship programs are great for employers and interns alike – interns gain experience, training, and exposure to…
California Employers May Owe Reporting Time Pay To Employees Who Do Not Actually Report For Work
By Mark Payne & Kristalyn Lee on
In a 2-1 ruling on February 4, 2019, the Second Appellate District of the California Court of Appeals expanded requirements for reporting time pay by ruling that a California employer would owe reporting time pay if it requires an employee to call in to confirm a scheduled on-call shift, even when the employee does not…
Saint Valentine in the Office: Managing Workplace Romances in the “Me Too” Era
By Emily Reber on
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, what better way to celebrate than to examine the pitfalls of office romances? The “Me Too” era is still in full swing, and it is subjecting employers to more scrutiny than ever. Have you considered how to best handle office romances between employees before Cupid’s arrow meets its…
Why Should You Be Thinking About Your Employees’ Workplace Privacy?
By Emily Schifter on
Do you monitor your employees using technology? Would you consider making them wear wristbands or other devices capturing their every move?
This spring, news spread that Amazon had been granted two patents for a new wristband that appeared to be designed to do just that for its warehouse and fulfillment staff. The patents indicated that…
New Sexual Harassment Laws for New York Now In Effect
By Matt Anderson on
With the continued rise of the #MeToo movement, New York has taken the reins as one of the leaders in combating sexual harassment in the workplace. All employers who have employees located in New York state must now provide sexual harassment training to all employees at least once a year. New York joins California, Connecticut,…
Signs Signs, Everywhere a Sign: States Require Updated Employment Law Postings
Employers are well aware of the requirement to post various notices from the EEOC, DOL, and other acronym-bearing state and federal agencies. Unfortunately, many employers have a “post it and forget it” mentality and fail to regularly update those posters and required notices.
These agencies, however, are often issuing updated required postings and employers who…
A Plan for Saying No: How to Refuse Service
Refusing to serve a patron is a hot topic right now, and it is not something any employer should take lightly. When recently asked about this issue by Thomson Reuters, partner Seth Ford and staff attorney Matt Anderson outlined the do’s and don’ts for a refusal of service policy. The main point is that…