Employment News

As the novel coronavirus pushes governments and businesses to extraordinary protection measures, seemingly overnight, a new victim may be emerging: privacy.  Such a concern may seem superfluous amid a pandemic that has claimed tens of thousands of U.S. lives, sickened more than half a million, and turned a booming economy on its head. But ignoring reasonable limits — and the potential ramifications — could sacrifice privacy rights in a way some say poses many risks. Smartphones, health … [Read more...]

Law-breaking employers paid more than $88 million in penalties last year under a progressive California law that guards workplace rights, a new report finds. That’s up dramatically from $30.3 million in 2018. The Private Attorneys General Act lets workers sue on behalf of the State of California to recover civil penalties on behalf of the State and affected workers for labor violations. This legal option is available regardless of whether an employee has signed a forced arbitration agreement … [Read more...]

Coronavirus has dramatically interrupted U.S. life, bringing normal routines for many almost to a standstill.  The number of confirmed domestic cases of coronavirus COVID-19 has soared in recent days, with California facing the third-most cases among states, according to tracking by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Given this stark reality, workers face tough choices. Here’s a rundown of what your employer can — or can’t — make you do on the job, … [Read more...]

While it remains uncertain how Assembly Bill 5 will influence employer-employee relationships long-term, we now have insight to the immediate impact on the California workforce. Since going into effect on January 1, the law has been the subject of national scrutiny and met with a number of lawsuits from industries including trucking, media, and technology.  Aimed to prevent worker misclassification, the law codifies the landmark California Supreme Court Dynamex decision making it very … [Read more...]

If timekeeping procedures have you fulfilling work duties after clocking out, even for a matter of minutes, courts indicate they are backing your right for compensation. While employers have previously used the federal de minimis doctrine as an  excuse to not compensate employees for lcertain tasks (such as store closing procedures) that are required of employees after clocking out, recent rulings indicate California employees are entitled to compensation – no matter how brief the work. The … [Read more...]