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Category Archives: Wage & Hour

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Do California Employers Have Any Scheduling Flexibility Options Left?

By Shauna N. Correia on Posted in Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

Scheduling employees is becoming more difficult for employers, and the State seems to be hurtling toward predictive scheduling laws. Last month, my partner Lukas Clary blogged about the recent California Supreme Court case, Ward v. Tilly’s, Inc., in which the Court ruled that “reporting time” pay is owed whenever an employee is required to “report”… Continue Reading

In the News: Lizbeth West In SBJ Article “California Raising the Minimum Wage is Causing a Domino Effect”

By Labor & Employment on Posted in New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

Minimum Wage Hikes Leave Businesses Feeling the Pinch by Scott Rodd, Sacramento Business Journal California’s minimum wage is set to increase annually over the next three years, and businesses large and small are feeling the pinch. On Jan. 1, the minimum wage rose from $11 to $12 for companies with more than 25 employees, and from… Continue Reading

Employees Are Entitled to Reporting Time Pay if Required to Call In to Confirm Shifts

By Lukas Clary on Posted in Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, Wage & Hour

Figuring out how many employees to schedule each day can be an inexact science. Unexpected surges or lulls in customers, employee absences due to illness or emergencies, and various other circumstances can impact personnel needs.  Employers sometimes choose to navigate these situations by overscheduling and then cutting loose employees who are not ultimately needed.  That… Continue Reading

Upcoming Seminar: Exempt Status – More Than Just a Salary

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

Summary of Program With the ever increasing number of claims filed with the Department of Labor and California Labor Commissioner for unpaid overtime, and the increasing number of wage and hour class action lawsuits, the importance of correctly classifying employees as exempt or non-exempt is clear.  This seminar is designed to help employers and HR… Continue Reading

Upcoming Seminar: Independent Contractors v. Employees – Do Independent Contractors Still Exist?

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Uncategorized, Wage & Hour

Summary of Program The risks involved in misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor rather than an employee have always been serious. A number of federal and state agencies regulate the proper classification of workers and have the authority to impose significant monetary and non-monetary sanctions against employers who get the classification wrong. In 2018,… Continue Reading

Brendan Begley Presenting at Employment Litigation 2019: Facing Workplace Realities in Divisive Times

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

Brendan Begley spearheads the firm’s Appeals and Writs group and is a member of the firm’s labor and employment, litigation, and trust, probate and elder abuse litigation groups. He is an Appellate Law Specialist certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Brendan will be speaking at The Rutter Group and the… Continue Reading

Employer’s Rounding Policy Upheld and Employees Lose Their Class Action & PAGA Lawsuit

By Beth V. West on Posted in Labor Law, Wage & Hour

 On December 10, 2018, the Fourth Appellate Court decision in Kennedy Donohue v.  AMN Services, LLC  (“AMN”) was certified for publication and it brings good news for California employers who use a neutral rounding timekeeping system. The case involved a class action and PAGA action brought by Ms. Donohue on behalf of nurse recruiters who… Continue Reading

Save the Date – Weintraub Tobin’s Employment Law Update 2019

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in Disability Discrimination, Discrimination, Employee Privacy Rights, Employment Contracts and Agreements, FMLA and Other Leaves of Absence, Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Reductions in Force, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Trade Secrets and Competition, Wage & Hour

Tuesday, January 8, 2019 – Sacramento, CA Wednesday, January 23, 2019 – San Francisco, CA Additional information and details for each session will be available December 3, 2018. To reserve your space at one of these sessions, please email Ramona Carrillo at rcarrillo@weintraub.com.

Now Available! Weintraub Tobin’s 2019 Labor and Employment Seminar and Training Schedule

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in Disability Discrimination, Discrimination, Employee Privacy Rights, Employment Contracts and Agreements, FMLA and Other Leaves of Absence, Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Reductions in Force, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Trade Secrets and Competition, Wage & Hour

Weintraub Tobin’s 2019 Labor and Employment Seminar and Training schedule is now available.  Click here for a copy of the schedule.  If you have any questions on any of our seminars or would like to inquire on private, custom-tailored training, please contact: Ramona Carrillo (916) 558-6046 rcarrillo@weintraub.com  

Which California Employment-Related Bills Were Signed Into Law And Which Ones Did Not Make The Cut?

By Beth V. West on Posted in Disability Discrimination, Discrimination, Employee Privacy Rights, Employment Contracts and Agreements, Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

Well September 30, 2018 has come and gone.  As my September 19, 2018 article indicated, that was the deadline for Governor Brown to either sign or veto a large number of employment-related bills passed by the California Legislature during the 2017-2018 Term.  Out of the 21 employment-related bills I summarized in my September 19th article,… Continue Reading

Pay Correctly Now or Pay More Later: All You Need to Know About Wage and Hour Laws

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

Summary of Program: Wage and hour lawsuits and claims filed with the Department of Labor and the California Labor Commissioner continue to plague California employers. Often employers are sued because of technical violations that occur simply because the employer is unaware of its legal obligations. Other times, employers make the mistake of treating an employee… Continue Reading

Good News Employers – There are Now Some Answers to Your Questions About the Recent Law Prohibiting Use of Prior Salary History

By Beth V. West on Posted in Employee Privacy Rights, Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

On July 18, 2018, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2282 which provides answers and clarifications to a number of questions employers had about the new law that went into effect in January 2018 (Assembly Bill 168 – codified in Labor Code section 432.3).  Section 432.3 prohibits employers from relying on the salary history information… Continue Reading

San Francisco’s New Rules for Enforcing its Paid Sick Leave Ordinance

By Shauna N. Correia on Posted in Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

On May 7, 2018, the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) published 14 new rules for interpreting the San Francisco Paid Sick Leave Ordinance (“PSLO”). The PSLO was amended on January 1, 2017.  The new rules take effect on June 7, 2018. We’ve summarized the 5 rules that our clients most frequently ask… Continue Reading

GOOD NEWS EMPLOYERS – The U.S. Supreme Court Says You Can Require Class Action Waivers In Your Arbitration Agreements

By Beth V. West on Posted in Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, Wage & Hour

On May 21, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued its much anticipated decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis.  In a 5-4 decision written by the newest jurist, Justice Gorsuch, the Court declares that employers can require employees to arbitrate their employment disputes individually and waive their rights to resolve those disputes through class… Continue Reading

The California Supreme Court Makes It More Difficult to Classify Workers as Independent Contractors – Assumes all Workers are Employees

By Ryan Abernethy on Posted in Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

On April 30, 2018, the California Supreme Court applied an expansive definition of independent contractor in a ruling that is sure to have a dramatic impact on many California businesses, and the burgeoning gig economy in particular. In the case of Dynamex Operations W. v. Superior L.A. County, a class action was brought on behalf… Continue Reading

Medical Cannabis Users May Soon be Protected Under FEHA – AB 2069

By Katie Collins on Posted in Employee Privacy Rights, Employment Contracts and Agreements, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

Assembly Bill (“AB”) 2069 was introduced by the California Assembly on February 7, 2018. Currently, California employers can deny employment or impose discipline on cannabis users, regardless of whether such use is for medical purposes. AB 2069 would amend the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) to make it an unlawful practice for an employer… Continue Reading

WEBINAR: Worker’s Compensation and Employment Law – Preventing Claims from Turning into Employment Lawsuits

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in FMLA and Other Leaves of Absence, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

Navigating a worker’s compensation claim in California can be challenging, to say the least. It involves a detailed understanding of several statutory schemes and steps along the way. Yet, processing the claim, insurance, and proper documentation can just be the start. Wary employers should carefully consider the labor and employment implications of a worker’s compensation… Continue Reading

Have You Ever Disagreed With An Employee About How They Should Do Their Work?

By Charles L. Post on Posted in Discrimination, FMLA and Other Leaves of Absence, Harassment, Labor Law, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

Beware.  Routine criticisms of job performance when directed to employees engaged in a caring profession, may subject you to retaliation and whistleblower claims. So you hire an employee, call her a brick layer.  She is a horrible brick layer.  You get in constant arguments with her concerning the quality of her brick laying.  You say… Continue Reading

Protecting Your Religious Entity Exemption Under The FEHA While Complying With Other Laws

By Shauna N. Correia on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

We all understand the common meaning of the word “employer.” In California, “employers” need to keep track of the various rules and regulations, all of which have their own definitions of the word.  Most frequently, the number of employees dictates whether a given statute or ordinance applies to the employer.  In addition, California’s Fair Employment… Continue Reading

Attorney Beth West Testifies Before the California Legislature

By Ramona Carrillo on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Retaliation and Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour

Weintraub Tobin Shareholder, Beth West, shared her expertise and testified before the California Legislature’s Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response on February 15, 2018. The hearing focused on the legal issues surrounding sexual harassment and Ms. West’s testimony identified challenges employers face in having effective anti-harassment programs in place, as well as some legal… Continue Reading

California Labor Commissioner and Attorney General Jointly Answer “Frequently Asked Questions” on Immigration Sweeps

By Lukas Clary on Posted in Employee Privacy Rights, Labor Law, New Legislation and Regulations, Wage & Hour

In case you haven’t noticed, immigration has been a hot topic of discussion in the news lately. While debates over Dreamers and the wall have dominated those discussions, the workplace has been swept into it all as well. On the one hand, the federal government’s efforts to curb illegal immigration have reached the workplace via… Continue Reading