With some limited exceptions, California employees are now entitled to accrue and take paid sick leave. California is the second state in the nation to mandate paid sick leave for its employees; Connecticut was the first. But unlike in Connecticut, California’s new paid sick leave law applies to employers of every size. Here’s how California’s new paid sick leave law works: To accrue paid sick leave with a particular employer, an employee must work for at least 30 days in a twelve-month period … [Read more...]
California law proactive in protecting employees
California protects working conditions for employees in the state through a broad set of laws, rules and regulations. For example, California employers must pay their employees a minimum hourly wage (now at $9.00 per hour) and, generally speaking, one-and-a-half times the minimum wage for overtime work of more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a workweek. There are exceptions for professional, managerial or technical employees who are exempt from the minimum wage laws. Employers in … [Read more...]
New California Law Aims to Close the Wage Gap for Women
In 1949, California enacted a law to ensure that women were paid the same as men for the same work. Sixty-six years later, the California Legislature amended that law in a way that might actually close the persistent wage gap women workers face. The Fair Pay Act of 2015, signed by California Governor Jerry Brown in early October, mandates that California employers pay men and women the same wages for “substantially similar work” as measured by skill, effort, level of responsibility, and working … [Read more...]
What Makes You “The Boss?”: The U.S. Supreme Court Weighs In
What actually makes someone the "boss?" That is exactly what the U.S. Supreme Court is currently trying to decide after they heard arguments in a case involving workplace discrimination at Ball State University. Just 14 years ago, it was decided that employers could be held liable for workplace harassment by supervisors in their employment, but it was never determined what qualified someone as a supervisor. The U.S. Supreme Court heard a case brought by Maetta Vance, the only black employee … [Read more...]
NLRB Weighs In On Workplace Social Media Policies
The rise in popularity of social media has spurred heated employment debates regarding free speech rights, and what can and cannot be said about your employer on Facebook and Twitter. As the debate has grown, a federal agency is asking employers to revise policies that limit what their employees can voice on Internet forums, reports Bay Area employment lawyer Eric Grover. There have been several rulings by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) finding that workers have a right to discuss … [Read more...]