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

California Supreme Court Ruling Changes Calculations For Break Pay

In July 2021, when most California employers were trying to make sense of the state’s Emergency Temporary Standards surrounding COVID-19, the state Supreme Court issued a ruling every employer in the state should know and understand. Case Background The case of Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC involved a former California bartender whose employer paid her premium payments instead of meal and rest breaks as Read More

What is Due Diligence in a Business Sale?

If you’ve ever sold or purchased a house, you know that agreeing to an offer is just the first step in a long process meant to finalize the deal. You want to verify the information provided in the listing and make sure that everything is done correctly so the sale can proceed smoothly.  The same principle applies to business mergers and acquisitions. As complicated as a home purchase is, though, business Read More

The Importance of Term Sheets and What Should Be Included

Entrepreneurs whose startups have gotten over the “hump,” so to speak, are well-acquainted with term sheets. Investors—private equity partners and venture capitalists, in equal measure—typically insist on term sheets before finalizing any deals. Many business professionals consider term sheets and LOIs (letters of intent) to be synonymous with each other. Both are general, non-binding agreements that outline the Read More

How Should California Employers Handle COVID-19 Vaccinations?

Now that the COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available for some time and workplaces are opening back up, many employers are faced with deciding what their policy will be regarding workplace vaccination. Below is a discussion of some state and federal guidelines you should keep in mind as you craft and implement these policies.  Employers ARE Able to Require Vaccination Days after the first COVID-19 vaccines Read More