The San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors has now prohibited the widely used criminal history check box for employment applications. Unless the Mayor vetoes it, the “ban the box” ordinance will become law no later than Thursday, February 13, 2014. In addition to banning the box, the new San Francisco legislation imposes a host of additional

Effective Jan. 1, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will recognize automatic gratuities, a percentage automatically added to a restaurant bill, as a service charge, rather than a tip. The IRS ruling on automatic gratuities isn’t new. This was the result of a June 2012 tax ruling that was delayed to give restaurants and related businesses more time to comply.
Continue Reading Think You Are Leaving a Tip After a Nice Meal, Think Again; You May Be Leaving Someone’s Wages – IRS Ruling On Automatic Gratuity Begins January 2014

When a workplace practice conflicts with an employee’s religious beliefs, the employer must consider whether a religious accommodation is available. This is the basic rule of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Many times, these issues arise in the form of scheduling conflicts when an employee’s religion compels worship on a particular day. Typical examples of religious accommodations can include changing an employee’s regular working schedule or allowing him or her to switch shifts with a co-worker. Such accommodations are typically made in response to a relatively traditional perception of religious expression. However, an employee’s religion, extends beyond traditional notions of religious practices. So what happens when an employer is presented with religious accommodation requests from Vegans? While clearly a first world problem, our Courts have been busy addressing this weighty issue.
Continue Reading Vegan Religious Bias Claim Settles for Enough to Buy A Big Juicy Steak

On Thursday, Governor Jerry Brown, signed into law AB 241, providing overtime to nannies and other domestic workers in California. The new law requires employers to pay time-and-a-half overtime to any nanny, housekeeper, or personal attendant who works more than nine hours in one day, or 45 hours in a week. Coupled with California’s new $10 minimum wage by 2016, your nanny or housekeeper will soon cost you an overtime rate of $15 per hour.
Continue Reading Nanny State Gives Nannies Overtime Under New California Law