California Wildfires: What Employers Need to Know
More than a dozen wildfires are raging up and down California, forcing evacuations and bringing tragedy and loss. The monstrous Carr fire in Shasta County...
California Supreme Court Hits Employers in Starbucks Off-the-Clock Work Case
In recent years, employers have faced lawsuits over small, or “de minimis,” amounts of unpaid time spent either before or after the employee clocks...
CalChamber Seeking Changes to Make Panic Button Legislation More Workable
A California Chamber of Commerce-led coalition continues to seek changes to make more workable a bill that, among other provisions, requires hotels to provide...
Manners Make an Employee
You spend up to 40 hours a week (and maybe more) with your co-workers so workplace etiquette, an unofficial code of conduct, can affect...
Tank Tops and Flip Flops — Summer Dress Codes
Summer is here! The weather is getting hotter, and while some employees fight over the office temperature, others may angle for a more casual dress...
Court Puts Parts of California’s New Workplace Immigration Law on “ICE”
California’s Immigrant Worker Protection Act (AB 450) provides California workers with certain protections from immigration enforcement while on the job. This law went into effect...
High Court Decisions Leave Employers with Uncertainty
Labor Law Standards Subject to Interpretation
California employers are once again left with uncertainty regarding the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) Enforcement Policies and Interpretations...
California Supreme Court Issues Worker Friendly Overtime Ruling
Overtime pay in California is based on the employee’s “regular rate of pay,” which is not always an employee’s normal hourly wage and must...
DACA Decision: California Employer Update
The Supreme Court’s recent denial of a Trump administration bid to expedite a legal challenge to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program...
It Happened Again: Retaliation is the No. 1 EEOC Charge
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released detailed breakdowns of the 84,524 charges of workplace discrimination that the agency received in fiscal year 2017.
And once again,...
New Law Restricts Immigration Enforcement at Worksites
As of January 1, California employers must comply with strict rules passed under the new Immigrant Worker Protection Act (AB 450), which protects workers...
Californians Can Legally Buy Weed But Employers Can Still Keep a Drug-Free Workplace
Last week, California businesses began to legally sell recreational marijuana in California. More than 400 state licenses have been issued so far, but the rollout...
Capitol Coffee Break: Outrageous Office Parties
The office party has long been a potential powder keg. Add a relaxed and celebratory atmosphere to an open bar, music and dancing at...
First Conviction for Violation of Santa Monica Minimum Wage Requirements
The City of Santa Monica has announced its first conviction for violation of the city’s minimum wage laws. A hotel-based retail business entered a “no contest”...
Cal/OSHA Issues Notice for Worker Health and Safety in Wildfire Regions
Cal/OSHA has issued guidance for employers and workers on working safely in conditions with heavy smoke caused by the wildfires.
Smoke from wildfires contains chemicals,...
Rate of Nonfatal Work Injuries, Illnesses in California at Lowest Level in a Decade
The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) recently posted California’s 2016 occupational injury and illness summary data on employer-reported injuries.
According to estimates provided by the...
Law Requires Electronic Filing/Payment of Payroll Taxes
The California Chamber of Commerce is reminding employers with nine or fewer employees that they will be required to electronically submit employment tax returns,...
Governor Rejects Unlimited Access to Employer Documents
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. has vetoed a bill that would have allowed organizations unaffiliated with the employer to access an undefined and potentially...
What Employers Should Know About Emergencies and the Workplace
SACRAMENTO, CA — In light of various emergencies and disasters throughout the state, the California Chamber of Commerce is educating employers about a few...
Governor Vetoes Job Killer
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. has vetoed a job killer bill that would have imposed a new data collection mandate on California employers and...