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 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
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
New Emergency Temporary Standards for California Employers Effective June 17, 2021
The Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) placed on California employers were recently revised. After a brief period for public comments, the state adopted the new ETS on June 17. While the new ETS relaxed many rules pertaining to mask usage, it also maintained a number of requirements for many California employers. Some of the requirements from the original ETS that still apply going forward Read More
COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for California Employees
To help California employees fend off economic instability as the pandemic lingers in some corners of the state, the powers that be in Sacramento approved an additional 80 hours of paid leave for those affected by the virus. The program, dubbed Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL), applies to public and private employers with at least 26 employees. The paid leave does not apply to independent contractors. Read More
Give Them a Break! What You Need to Know About California Rest and Lunch Break Laws
California has a more generous meal break law than that of many other states, allowing workers to take breaks that are both longer and more frequent. It has specific rules on whether employees must be paid for certain types of breaks as well. Both employers and employees should know these basic rules to ensure that everyone is in compliance with applicable California law. Meal Break Basics If an employee works Read More
Why Do So Many Companies Choose to Incorporate in Delaware?
If you are starting a new business, you might want to think about incorporating in Delaware. More than half of the publicly traded companies in the U.S. are incorporated there. The state laws of Delaware provide five main benefits to businesses. Read on to learn more about these benefits and how they might help you. 1. Solve disputes with a judge, not a jury. The Delaware Court of Chancery, which was Read More