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Employment Law

Warn bosses: Don’t single out caregivers

07/26/2013

Being a boss is hard enough, but it’s especially difficult when un­­expected absences disrupt production schedules. Unfortunately, it’s a fact of managerial life. That’s why you should remind supervisors that they must not take out their frustrations by retaliating against employees who miss work for legitimate reasons—such as having to care for a sick child.

How far must we go in tracking meal breaks?

07/26/2013
Q: Must nonexempt employees enter the time they leave and return from lunch, or can we assume that they took their lunch hours unless otherwise noted in their time records?

Equal pay is on the way … about 45 years from now

07/25/2013
New research from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research finds that the wage gap between working men and women will not close until the year 2057.

Perez confirmed as Labor Secretary

07/24/2013
The U.S. Senate on July 18 confirmed Thomas Perez to become the next Secretary of Labor. The 54-46 party-line vote followed a four-month standoff between the Senate Republicans and the White House during which Perez’s nomination languished, along with those of other Obama administration appointees awaiting confirmation.

Court points way toward tracking employees with GPS

07/24/2013
A recent New York Court of Appeals case offers guidance to employers that want to slap GPS devices on employees’ cars to monitor their activities.

Does your discipline policy grant ‘one harassment free’?

07/24/2013
We all struggle with drafting policies. In the following case we learn that leaving certain words out of your disciplinary policy can be just as legally dangerous as putting the wrong words in. In this case, the employer’s discipline policy essentially allowed employees to engage in one act of sexual harassment without being terminated.

Reporting-time pay: What if it’s clear employee is in no condition to work?

07/23/2013
Q. Does California’s reporting-time pay law apply to workers who report to work but appear to be unable or unfit to work?

How should we pay for overnight travel?

07/23/2013
Q. I know that the laws on overnight travel time are more restrictive in California than under federal law. Does the overnight travel rule under federal law apply in California or does an employer have to pay all travel time even if overnight travel is involved?

U.S. Supreme Court rules on DOMA, California’s Prop 8

07/23/2013
The U.S. Supreme Court in June issued two highly anticipated decisions addressing same-sex marriage in cases that resonated nationwide and in California. The cases are significant for employers because they are likely to have ripple effects on state, federal and local laws, in particular those dealing with employee benefit plans, taxation and immigration.

TV chef Paula Deen hires L.A. attorney-to-the-stars

07/23/2013
Embattled celebrity chef Paula Deen has fired her Georgia attorneys and called in the big guns—including famed Hollywood attorney-to-the-stars Patricia Glaser—to help salvage her reputation and media empire.