Unfortunately, conducting layoffs is a normal part of many businesses when the economy takes a downturn or when other market changes occur. You might feel the need to lay off one of your employees, but if that employee is pregnant or on maternity leave, you might be...
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Employer Defense
Preventing a sexual harassment lawsuit in your company
Every company dreads the idea of being dragged into a sexual harassment lawsuit over the alleged misconduct of an employee. Taking active steps to minimize the chances of this occurring in your company will be worth every dollar. If you are forced to defend a sexual...
Don’t ignore an employee’s request for a reasonable accommodation
Few legal requirements lead to more misunderstandings than those involving reasonable accommodations. After all, what may seem perfectly reasonable to one party may appear entirely unreasonable to someone else. While the issue is somewhat subjective, the law does...
Is your staff correctly classified?
The recent decisive vote on Prop 22 is undoubtedly good news for businesses that use independent contractors. However, the state attorney general, three city attorneys and California's labor secretary filed lawsuits against Uber and Lyft before the voters approved the...
Ballot box win enables more California employers to use contractors
California voters overwhelmingly approved the new ballot measure California Proposition 22 that allows certain workers to be reclassified as independent contractors instead of employees. This refutes the 2019 state law that took a more inclusive interpretation of...
Managing a Leave of Absence In California
It’s a very challenging employment situation when employees take a leave of absence. Although state and federal laws authorize specific leave guidelines for employers, there’s limited human and financial resources to meet certain criteria. Many small business owners...
How your rights as an app-based employer may soon change
As an app-based employer in California, it’s probably no surprise that state laws impact the way your company classifies independent contractors and employees. But you might not know what will happen after this year’s election. Last year’s passage of Assembly Bill 5...
California Employers That Screen Out Convicted Felons from Employment Are Now Exposed to Claims of Employment Discrimination
Effective January 1, 2018, under California’s new “Ban the Box Law,” (AB 1008 – California Government Code § 12952) California employers may no longer screen out prospective job applicants with criminal histories, including convicted felons, except under the most...
California Supreme Court’s Message to California Employers: Your Workers Are Employees, Not Independent Contractors (Dynamex Decision 4/30/18)
The California Supreme Court issued a precedent-setting decision in the Dynamex case (Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Sup. Court of Los Angeles, Charles Lee, et al, Real Parties in Interest, S222732, (Sup. Ct BC332016)), expanding the scope of the employment...