On April 1, 2016, new regulations from California’s Fair Employment and Housing Council will go in effect. These new regulations state that “[e]mployers have an affirmative duty to create a workplace environment that is free from employment practices prohibited by the Act,” and require changes in employment policies. As a result, employers should carefully review their existing policies to ensure compliance with these new standards and act quickly to make any needed changes before April 1.

For our second program in this series, we will take a closer look at the Risks and Rewards of Using Independent Contractors.  Many companies think that independent contractors are the solution to their staffing problems, providing flexibility and keeping labor costs down without increasing headcount.  However, there are risks involved in using independent contractors – primarily the risk that the IRS or the Department of Labor will find that they should properly be classified as employees!

The Supreme Court recently ruled 6-3 that a state appeals court erroneously upheld a lower court order refusing to enforce an arbitration agreement that included a class waiver. This decision reaffirmed the supremacy of the Federal Arbitration Act. Wendy Sugg, in Troutman Sanders’ Orange County office, spoke with Employment…

This year, we recognize 25 years of the coverage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on workplaces and commercial establishments.  While you may be most familiar with how employment policies and practices have been subject to the ADA and its regulations for the past 25 years, that is not the only significant impact of the ADA.  Public entities and transportation providers have had obligations under the ADA too.  In fact, a large part of the ADA specifically applies to places of public accommodations and commercial facilities.  So, anyone who opens their doors for retail, service, office, or warehouse purposes is required to ensure full and equal enjoyment of all goods, services, facilities, and accommodations to those with disabilities.

The HR Law Matters blog is happy to provide you with an overview of recent Background Screening articles, from the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Law Monitor Blog. We know that as HR professionals issues related to Background Screening of employees is important to you, and we think this information will be of  great interest.

The HR Law Matters blog is happy to provide you with an overview of recent Background Screening articles, from the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Law Monitor Blog. We know that as HR professionals issues related to Background Screening of employees is important to you, and we think this information will be of  great interest.

7_Effective Workplace
Whether it’s allegations of favoritism, harassment, or unethical conduct, an efficient and impartial investigation can help employers root out actions that are harming the company and can provide evidence to support the company’s decision.  All too often investigations are conducted without a clear plan and assigned team, leading to conflicting…

Crisis concerns have occurred from the time of the pharaohs up through the Enron or Tylenol episodes of the last decade, and as recently as the VW manipulation of emission data.  What may be a small concern for one company could be a huge liability for another.  For employers, when a crisis erupts, the consequences can be a game of “Wheel of Fortune” – a misfortune, if handled improperly, or good fortune, for the employer’s reputation, to come out unscathed. A crisis management plan is no “one size fits all”.