Author: California Employment Law Letter
The effects of impending minimum wage increases
by Cornell Bang The effort to increase the minimum wage at the federal, state, and municipal level continues to gain momentum. At the municipal level, Los Angeles voted in 2015 to increase its minimum wage from $9 an hour to $15 by 2020, San Francisco voted in 2014 to raise its minimum wage from $12.25 […]
The best resolution for the New Year: Get your FMLA program in shape
by Maria Reed Every New Year brings the tradition of making resolutions—whether it’s to lose weight, save money, volunteer more, or travel. While those are admirable personal resolutions, companies should have their own resolutions to ensure their businesses are on track for the upcoming year. A top priority should be to get your Family and […]
Not so fast—Judge strikes down Pittsburgh’s paid sick leave ordinance
by Gregory J. Wartman In November, we reported that Pittsburgh had enacted a paid sick time ordinance for employees working in the city that was scheduled to take effect January 11, 2016 (see “Pittsburgh passes ordinance requiring paid sick time”). On December 21, 2015, a Pennsylvania judge struck down the ordinance, ruling that it is […]
The Intern: delightful movie—risky employment practice
Well, the Golden Globes were Sunday night and all of Hollywood tuned it to celebrate the best of film and television. One movie that was noticeably absent from the nominations (at least in my opinion) was The Intern, a heartwarming film starring Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway, that tells the story of a lovable retiree […]
Use discipline to achieve your goals in 2016
by Dan Oswald The other day, I brought in a couple dozen donuts for a meeting we were having at the office. Since it was the first week back to work in the new year, I must admit I was curious about how many of those donuts would get eaten. How resolute would my colleagues […]
New York Women’s Equality Act takes effect January 19
by Edward O. Sweeney Several new laws that are part of New York’s Women’s Equality Act take effect on January 19, meaning employers need to understand the new protections related to equal pay, sexual harassment, and familial and pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. One of the new laws amends New York state’s Labor Law § […]
Investigations by lawyers: Privileged, or not privileged, that is the question
by Monique Orieux In Canada, an employer may retain a lawyer to conduct a workplace investigation, particularly where the issue under investigation is of a sensitive nature. One reason for doing so is to attempt to keep the investigator’s notes, supporting documents, and final report from being disclosed to a third party as privileged. However, […]
Workplace safety in an age of viral panic
by Jo Ellen Whitney In a world with a 24-hour news cycle, multiple TV channels specifically designated to the news, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and a constant news machine that needs to be fed, the adage “If it bleeds, it leads” has more power than ever before. In late 2014, we saw a good example of […]
Employers get extension on some ACA reporting dates
The IRS has announced that it has extended the deadline for employers subject to certain reporting requirements necessary under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). New deadlines have been set for employers subject to Sections 6055 and 6056 reporting requirements: The deadline for employers to furnish employees Form 1095-B, Health Coverage, and Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health […]