Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Maria D. (as she was referred to in court documents) claimed that late one night as she drove along the Pacific Coast Highway in Southern California, she was pulled over by an on-duty Westec Residential Security guard wearing a uniform and gun. The guard allegedly pointed a spotlight in her face, asked for her license, […]
Recently, I was intrigued by a Wall Street Journal article — “A Four-Letter Word Schools Won’t Use.” It said that colleges absolutely refuse to use the “F” word. Yes, it’s true. Schools avoid using the word “FIRE” at all costs. According to the article, the writer analyzed 50 recent news releases announcing coaching changes in […]
Yesterday, we went back in time and looked at some interesting policies from Walt Disney’s 1943 employee handbook. Today, a few more — as well as a foolproof way to ensure your handbook is always current and complete.
It’s hard to believe but 2009 is coming to an end. For many, 2009 can’t be over soon enough. For most businesses, it has been a challenging year. And while we’ve seen a rebound in the stock market, most companies are reporting earnings that, while they beat analysts’ estimates, are still significantly less than they […]
It may come as a surprise that employers can now be sued if co-workers harass an employee who has made a workplace complaint. A recent Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision has broadened the liability of employers for retaliation to include not just supervisors’ acts, but also the hostile conduct of other employees. We’ll offer […]
Recently, an employee argued in an association discrimination claim that he was fired because his employer feared he would be distracted at work by his wife’s disability. That excuse didn’t pan out, because in fact the employer was just fed up with the individual’s poor performance, making it a legitimate employment termination. So in a […]
Under both California and federal law, nonexempt employees must be paid daily and weekly overtime at the rate of 1.5 times the employee’s “regular rate” of pay. Daily double-time must be paid at 2.0 times the “regular rate.”
Over the last several years, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued a string of decisions limiting the rights of state employees to sue their state employers for violating federal employment laws. Now a new high court decision continues the trend, ruling that state employees can’t recover damages for disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities […]
by Mark I. Schickman People often complain that California employment law is bizarre. My colleagues around the country call our judges “fruits and nuts.” To the contrary, however, while our legislature is farther left than most states’ legislatures and our juries are more profligate than most, our appellate courts are relatively centrist. The award for […]
Between the war for talent, automation, the surge in gig workers, and independent contractors, everyone wants to know where this whole work thing is headed.