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A CUT-FINE BORDERLINE A Limit to California's Pregnancy Disability Protections Short Lived?

In a rare act oflimitingthe reach of California's workplace discrimination laws, an appeals court has denied pregnancy leave protection to a worker allegedly fired for taking time off for egg retrieval and freezing procedures.Paleny v. Fireplace Products(June 27, 2024).

CAUTIONARY TALE EPISODE 83 SALONS NAILED Parlors Pay Dearly for Workplace Violations

The federal Department of Labor, through its Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has secured a $753,500 judgment against three Rhode Island nail salons and their owner for:$265,000 in unpaid overtime for 70 employees;$265,000 "liquidated" (automatic) damages;$12,500 punitive damages for forcing employees to sign false documents;$168,000 to one employee, terminated and threatened for complaining about illness from exposure to undiluted sanitizer;

CAUTIONARY TALE EPISODE 84 WOLFMAN'S EXTINCTION LOOMS Supermarket Chain Charged for Allowing Years of Sexual Harassment

Fred Meyer Stores, Inc. is a northwest supermarket institution, a rags-to-riches monument. NamesakeFrederick G. Meyer(originally Frederick Grubmeyer) began in Portland, Oregon in 1908, "selling coffee from a horse-drawn cart to workers at farms and lumber camps."https://www.fredmeyer.com/i/community/history. The chain's watchword for a century-plus has been Customer service (with a capital "C"), a safe, convenient and now gargantuan one-stop shopping experience emulated by Target and others.

GRIN AND BEAR IT Political Views in the Workplace

Several California laws prohibit employers from taking action against workers for political activities, affiliations or speech.

HIRING AUTHORIZED WORKERS I-9 Forms Best Practices

Employers must properly complete aForm I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification(the I-9 Form) for every new hire.

PAGA MONSTER DECLAWED Major Relief for Responsible Employers

For more than a decade, use of California'sPrivate Attorneys General Act (PAGA)against conscientious employers - holding many up for civil suit ransom as the better choice to business closure - has grown to pandemic proportions with little benefit to the workers the law was designed to protect.

CALIFORNIA MINIMUM WAGE MID-YEAR RATE INCREASES

Effective January 1, 2024, California minimum wage increased to$16per hour for all employers, regardless of size.

HANDBOOK HELPER EPISODE 43 WORK TIME OFF FOR VIOLENT CRIME VICTIMS

Employers must provide unpaid leave of any length to victims of crimes or public offenses (domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or crimes causing physical or mental injury), as well as to those threatened with physical injury (Crime Leave). Crime Leave enables time to address related issues, including court appearances or obtaining legal relief such as a restraining order to protect against further violation to the victim or his/her child. Crime Leave is also available to employees needi

KEEPING PEACE Workplace Violence Prevention Implementation Deadline is July 1, 2024

Aspreviously reported, effective July 1, 2024, California employers of any size must develop an effective workplace violence prevention plan (the Plan) for each work area and operation; provide violence prevention training; maintain violence incident logs; and keep records of incident investigations and hazard identification, evaluation and correction.