Tag: benefits

Timekeeping and Payroll: The 9-to-5 Trap

Most employees today don’t punch a time clock; they generally work a set schedule, such as 9 am to 5 pm. Because these employees work a regular schedule, many employers don’t bother to track their time (or require the employees to track their time). This means that each paycheck reflects pay for the time scheduled […]

H1N1 Vaccinations: May Not Be Available to Employees Until Spring 2010

H1N1 (“Swine”) flu vaccination trials are underway in the United States, and so far, it appears that there are no major side effects, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That’s the good news. The bad news for employers is that the vaccinations likely won’t be available for distribution to most adults through employee health […]

Is Discretionary Paid Vacation A Good Idea?

I have a client that is a start-up company that I’m helping set-up up Policies & Procedures for their Handbook. They currently do not have any formal Time-off policy and do not want any established Company Holidays, amount of sick days per year or amount of vacation days per year. What they want and currently […]

Employees Can’t Sue for Unpaid Vacation Before It’s Earned

By now, most employers have at least heard that California prohibits “use it or lose it” vacation policies—meaning that once an employee earns vacation time, that time can’t be forfeited for any reason. But can an employer decide not to award vacation time right away to new employees? The answer is yes—according to a recent […]

From the CEA Mailbag: Are Paid Birthdays Off the Same as Vacation?

A California Employer Advisor reader asks: Our company policy gives employees their actual birthday off with pay. A birthday that falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday will be taken on the preceding or following workday. Subject to a supervisor’s approval, employees may take another day off, but it must be within one week of […]

Can an Early Retirement Nudge Lead to a Lawsuit?

Employers are often reluctant to follow up on allegations made against employees nearing retirement age, both because of the fear of age bias claims, and because these employees stand to lose valuable retirement and other benefits if they’re terminated. For these reasons, employers sometimes suggest that the employee take early retirement rather than risk termination.

Prop 8 Upheld by California Supreme Court

On Tuesday, the California Supreme Court upheld the November amendment to the state constitution—Prop 8—that prohibits same-sex marriage. The court did, however, rule that the 18,000+ same-sex marriages already performed in California will remain legally valid.