The Wage Theft Criminalization Bill that went into effect at the start of 2022 allows for new penalties against employers, meaning that you could be convicted of a felony and sentenced to jail time if found guilty of wage theft. Now is not the time to be caught out of compliance, so we’re clearing up some specifics on how the bill works and how you can ensure your business stays in the clear. What qualifies as Read More
Clarifying California’s Overtime Exemption Laws
For California business owners, figuring out overtime exemption laws can be difficult. There are a long set of qualifications for who is exempt and from what they are exempt. These exemption laws were created to make it easier for employees to work odd hours at their own discretion when circumstances required such flexibility. Today we’ll be clarifying the overtime exemption laws so your business can ensure it Read More
California Updates Labor Code to Allow Liens Without a Court Order
Last fall, California's governor signed Bill 572, resulting in an amendment to the Labor Code. This updates the Labor Commission’s ability to create liens against the property of business or business owners for the purpose of repaying wage-and-hour claims made by employees. Previously, the Labor Commission needed a court order to create a lien, but as of January 1, 2022, a court order is no longer required. Instead, Read More
Is Your California Business Compliant?: An Overview of Business Entity Compliance Requirements
When you decide to incorporate or form an LLC, you are committing to follow certain compliance requirements that are set out by California law. Failing to adhere to these legal demands can completely undermine your business structure. Therefore, it is important to know and understand these obligations so you can fulfill these duties. Types of Compliance Requirements Generally speaking, there are two types of Read More
Major Changes To California’s Family Leave Policy
In 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed several changes to the California Family Rights Act into law. The California Family Rights Act authorizes employees to take up to twelve weeks off of work every year to deal with medical and family leave. It ensures that all employees covered by the Act can take the leave they need while knowing that their job is protected. Here are the reasons for medical leave that Read More
Four Tips on Staying Compliant with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
California business owners are well aware of the many legal protections enjoyed by consumers in the Golden State. A recent example of these protections is the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This act gives California consumers the right to demand details on how their personally identifiable information is collected and shared by companies. Furthermore, it allows consumers to sue non-compliant Read More
California Employers: Know Your COVID-Related Reporting Requirements
The most notable California law concerning COVID-19 reporting in the workplace, AB 685, recently got an update in Sacramento. In October 2021, Gov. Newsom signed AB 654. The bill, which updates many parts of AB 685, went into effect immediately and is still applicable to most California employers. More Employees Need to Know About COVID-19 Infections Before AB 654, employers only needed to notify Read More
When Does Your Business Need an Indemnification Agreement?
Most standard contracts and contract templates for companies include something called an indemnification clause. Although many contracts between California business entities include this provision, they are often improperly written and deployed. As an entrepreneur, you might sometimes hear an indemnification clause referred to as a “hold harmless” clause; this verbiage gives us a clue to the ultimate purpose of this Read More
SB 331—What Does it Mean for California Employers?
In 2018, the #MeToo movement was shining a light on sexual harassment in the workplace. The California legislature produced one of the nation’s strongest legislative responses. The law, which is now codified in the California Code of Civil Procedure, forbids employers from including confidentiality provisions in separation agreements with respect to certain employee claims. The 2018 law, however, only applied to Read More
What Types of Incentives Should You Offer Your Employees?
Generally speaking, employers offer a variety of incentives because they want their employees to continue working—productively—for a long time. While it is sometimes necessary to take action when an employee’s performance is poor, keeping your staff long-term and helping them stay motivated makes good business sense. The average cost of onboarding a single new employee is around $4,000.00. So the right kind of Read More
