The Workplace is a podcast by CalChamber that provides expert and entertaining commentary on issues critical to California employers and employees. Episodes include discussions about California employment laws, legislative proposals, and national and state politics.

Commentary on the podcast should not be considered as legal advice.

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Episode 140

(December 16, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber employment law experts Matthew Roberts and Bianca Saad discuss California holiday wage and hour issues, including holiday pay, policy best practices, employees calling out sick, and handling vacation requests.

Episode 139

HR Tips for Work Holiday Parties

(December 10, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber employment law experts Matthew Roberts and Bianca Saad discuss the workplace rules employers should consider when planning their company’s holiday party.

Episode 138

Memorable Calls from the Helpline

(November 24, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber employment law expert Matthew Roberts and CalChamber HR Adviser Ellen Savage discuss unique workplace issues that employers have asked about on the Labor Law Helpline, including: logging bathroom breaks by using locked doors; deducting mailing stamp costs from a final paycheck; ensuring that company property is returned by confiscating employees’ car keys; hotel room sharing; office romances; alleged sexual harassment of customers; and pregnancy disability leave questions.

Episode 137

Stories From the Labor Law Helpline

(November 15, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber employment law expert Matthew Roberts and CalChamber HR Adviser Ellen Savage discuss unique workplace issues that employers have asked about on the Labor Law Helpline, such as using secret video cameras, and talking to employees about personal hygiene, personal appearance and heating up foods with strong odors in the staff kitchen.

Episode 136

Questions From the Labor Law Helpline

(November 5, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber employment law expert Matthew Roberts and CalChamber HR Adviser Ellen Savage discuss some of the employment law issues employers ask about on the Labor Law Helpline.

Episode 135

Get Ready. New Labor Laws Are Coming

(October 18, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber employment law expert Matthew Roberts and CalChamber policy advocate Ashley Hoffman discuss five new labor laws that employers will see in 2022: AB 1033, SB 62, AB 1003, AB 701 and SB 606.

Episode 134

Breaking Down COVID-19-Related Lawsuits

(October 4, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber employment law expert Matthew Roberts, CalChamber policy advocate Ashley Hoffman, and employment law attorney Colby Turner discuss COVID-19-related litigation and identify potential situations that can trigger lawsuits.

Episode 133

Preparing for New COVID-19 Vaccine Rules

(September 20, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber employment law expert Matthew Roberts and CalChamber policy advocate Robert Moutrie discuss the upcoming federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate for businesses and share how employers can best prepare for the rules.

Episode 132

COVID-19: Revisiting Mask Mandates

(August 31, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss COVID-19 workplace mask mandates.

Episode 131

Employer-Mandated COVID-19 Vaccinations

(August 26, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss employer mandated COVID-19 vaccines and religious accommodation requests.

Episode 130

Partnership Key to Reliable Power Grid

(August 24, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, California Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Allan Zaremberg, and California Independent System Operator President and CEO Elliot Mainzer discuss the challenges facing California’s power grid, and how business and regional partnerships are helping the state keep the lights on during extreme weather events.

Episode 129

Video Resume Trend Raises Concerns

(August 19, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, and employment law expert Matthew Roberts discuss using video resumes to screen job applicants and the problems this new trend may pose for employers.

Episode 128

COVID-19 Jobs Climate Best Practices

(August 10, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, and Katie McConnell Olson, founder and CEO of Hire Education Consulting Group, discuss current recruitment challenges and share best practices for hiring in today’s jobs climate.

Episode 127

COVID-19 Wave Spurs New Mask Orders

(August 5, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, and employment law expert Matthew Roberts discuss the reinstatement of COVID-19 mask requirements across California.

Episode 126

Key Labor Law Bills to Watch This Year

(July 22, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, CalChamber Policy Advocate Ashley Hoffman, and Chris Micheli, of Aprea & Micheli, give an update on important labor and employment-related bills that employers should keep an eye on when the California Legislature returns on August 16.

Episode 125

Court Rules on Meal Period Premium Pay

(July 20, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, employment law expert Matthew Roberts, and legislative advocates Chris Micheli and Ashley Hoffman discuss the latest California Supreme Court ruling on premium pay calculations in Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC.

Episode 124

Adopting Alternative Work Schedules

(July 13, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Matthew Roberts discuss alternative workweek schedules.

Episode 123

Telework, Contractors & Workers’ Comp

(June 25, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and attorney John Parente discuss the impacts of workers’ compensation law and legal requirements on worker classification and remote work agreements.

Episode 122

New COVID-19 Workplace Rules Explained

(June 23, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, and employment law experts Robert Moutrie and Matthew Roberts break down the new COVID-19 workplace directives issued by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), which address face coverings, social distancing, COVID-19 vaccinations, and more.

Episode 121

Travel Locally to Help State Recovery

(June 21, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, California Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Allan Zaremberg, Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva and Visit California President and CEO Caroline Beteta discuss the important role tourism has in California’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Episode 120

Hiring a Minor? Laws You Need to Know

(May 20, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss best practices for employing minors in California.

Episode 119

Tips for Fostering Work-Life Balance

(May 7, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss ways employers can help employees manage work-life balance.

Episode 118

Considerations for Workplace Reopenings

(April 28, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss workplace reopenings and what employers should consider when deciding whether to end their remote work programs.

Episode 117

What Employers Are Asking Right Now

(April 23, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss some of the most common questions employers have been asking recently, including internet reimbursements for remote workers, providing paid sick leave for employees quarantining from recent travel, time keeping, and more.

Episode 116

Vaccination Is Key to Reopen Economy

(April 20, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber President and CEO Allan Zaremberg and Dee Dee Myers, senior adviser to Governor Gavin Newsom and director of the Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), discuss the COVID-19 vaccine and why it is critical to reopening the California economy.

Episode 115

Higher Ed Integral to Business Needs

(April 15, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber President and CEO Allan Zaremberg and Lande Ajose, senior policy advisor for higher education to Governor Gavin Newsom, discuss the challenges the state faces in its goal to ensure that higher education remains accessible to all Californians.

Episode 114

New Supplemental Leave in Effect Now

(April 1, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, CalChamber Policy Advocate Ashley Hoffman, and Benjamin Ebbink, partner at Fisher Phillips law firm, discuss California’s new COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave requirement (SB 95).

Episode 113

How You Can Help End Anti-Asian Hate

(March 26, 2021) In this edition of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber President and CEO Allan Zaremberg interviews Sacramento County Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Thienvu Ho.

Episode 112

No Room for Error on Meal, Rest Breaks

(March 25, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw share best practices and discuss the importance of strictly following meal and rest period laws.

Episode 111

Should Employers Offer Unlimited PTO?

(March 18, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss unlimited paid vacation policies and the types of workplace liabilities these policies may create.

Episode 110

COVID-19 Vaccine and the Workplace

(March 15, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss what employers should consider before requiring workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Episode 109

Improving Diversity in the Workplace

(March 8, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and Lyndon Huling, manager for leadership recruitment and diversity services at the University of California, Davis, share insights on developing diversity and inclusion programs in the workplace.

Episode 108

Bills Offer Business Economic Relief

(February 22, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and CalChamber Policy Advocate Preston Young discuss three CalChamber-supported bills moving through the legislature that will provide economic relief to small businesses: SB 87, AB 83 and AB 80.

Episode 107

California Labor Law Predictions

(February 19, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, CalChamber Policy Advocate Ashley Hoffman, and Legislative Advocate Chris Micheli of Aprea & Micheli discuss what employment law changes employers can expect to occur this year at the state level.

Episode 106

Federal Labor Law Changes to Expect

(February 12, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, CalChamber Policy Advocate Ashley Hoffman, and Legislative Advocate Chris Micheli of Aprea & Micheli discuss what federal employment law changes employers can expect to occur this year.

Episode 105

New Role for HR: Mandatory Reporter

(February 8, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law experts Matthew Roberts and Bianca Saad remind employers about meeting California’s harassment prevention training mandate and discuss AB 1963, a new mandatory reporting requirement that applies to employers who employ minors and have five or more employees.

Episode 104

Most Popular Questions From HR Seminar

(January 27, 2021) In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law experts Bianca Saad and Matthew Roberts discuss the most frequently asked questions from the 2021 CalChamber Employment Laws Update seminars, which cover the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, face coverings for COVID-19 prevention, COVID-19 prevention plans, COVID-19 testing , and a new California payday reporting obligation.

Episode 103

COVID-19 Vaccine: Can It Be Required?

(January 19, 2021)In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss what employers need to consider before mandating that their employees get the COVID-19 vaccine.