‘But Nobody Told Me I Had To Get To Work On Time!’
Ridiculous as it sounds, “they never told me” is a standard defense in employment lawsuits. It plays to the jury’s sense of fairness, and it plays pretty well.
Tag: california hr
Employee Handbook Helper: Communicating Policy Changes
You should regularly revise and modify your employment policies and employee handbooks as the law changes and as your operational needs dictate. Once you make policy changes, however, should you communicate them to your employees? If so, how?
Get Off on the Right Foot by Drafting an Effective Handbook
Often, the first document a new employee reads is the company handbook. A handbook serves many purposes, among them introducing the employer’s culture, communicating important policies, and setting employee expectations. If approached thoughtfully, a handbook is also a key tool for minimizing exposure to litigation.
Rest and Meal Breaks in California: When Must a Rest Break be Provided?
Rest and meal breaks in California aren’t just a nice-to-have, they’re legally mandated, all the way down to how frequently rest breaks must be given over the course of a workday. In a CER webinar titled “Meal & Rest Breaks in California: Long-Awaited Brinker Decision Is Finally Here; What It Means for You,” Marc L. […]
Comings and Goings: When Does Workers’ Comp Kick In?
Many employers are unclear on whether employees who are injured while traveling from home to work, or vice versa, are entitled to workers’ comp benefits.
What’s Covered By Workers’ Comp in California?
Under the Labor Code, an injured employee is entitled to workers’ comp when he or she sustains an injury or illness while acting within the course of his or her employment, or while performing service incidental to his or her employment.
Calculating Overtime in California: The Importance of ‘Regular Rate’ Calculations
Calculation of overtime in California differs from other states in regard to what hours count toward the total hours worked in the week, and that’s just the beginning. Even the best HR professionals can find the topic of paying overtime in California perplexing.
Could You Be (or Be Harboring) a ‘Toxic Boss’?
In Behind the Executive Door: Unexpected Lessons for Managing Your Boss and Your Career, author and executive coach Dr. Karol Wasylyshyn advises managers how to deal with the three types of bosses—Remarkable, Toxic, and Perilous.
Here’s to the Crazy Ones!
“I’ve been reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs,” notes business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. “It’s an interesting read because Jobs was a fascinating character. Jobs was a polarizing figure, revered by many and hated by others. But regardless of how anyone might feel about him, there’s no denying the man was a creative […]
Conducting an Exemption Audit in California: Complying With Overtime and Other Wage-Hour Laws
By Allen Kato, Fenwick & West LLP Why should you conduct an exemption audit in California? Employee claims alleging they are misclassified as exempt from overtime (brought as individual claims or class-action lawsuits) are the lawsuit of the day. For example, in March 2012, a California court approved a $35 million settlement by Oracle involving […]