Blog

TAKE A DEEP BREATH

Particularly in a hotly contested election cycle, California employers should take care not to discriminate against workers for political activities, affiliations or speech. Management should be familiar with and apply these laws:

HANDBOOK HELPER EPISODE 14 WATCH AND LEARN

Many businesses install on-premises closed-circuit camera systems to monitor shared or common areas.

HANDBOOK HELPER EPISODE 13 COMPANY DEVICES: HANDS ON, HANDS OFF

Most businesses rely extensively on workplace emails, texts, and other electronic systems.

SMALL PLANET BIG DREAMS

On top of the Liberian and Sierra Leonean civil conflicts (1989-2003, 1991-2002 respectively),Ebolaprevailed over much of West Africa for most of 2014 and into 2015. Then came COVID. Each calamity has forced the indefinite closures of schools, setting back generations.

COVID BENEFITS RESURGENCE

On September 29, 2022, the Governor signedAssembly Bill 152(AB 152) approving two significant COVID-19 workplace provisions, effective October 9 and retroactive to January 1, 2022.

HANDBOOK HELPER EPISODE 12 PRYING EYES

Starting with well-drafted policy, California employers should ensure their administrative and management staff do not impermissibly disclose any employee's private, personal, health or medical information.

HANDBOOK HELPER EPISODE 11 RIGHT ON SCHEDULE

Except for salaried, legitimatelyexempt-from-overtimeworkers, California employers must provide each employee with certain numbers of unpaid meal periods and paid rest breaks depending on how many hours that employee works in each workday.

EMPLOYEE OR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR?

Manylaws and rules dictate whether an employer can legitimately classify someone as an independent contractor (I/C). They include California's strict ABC three-factor test and the numerous exceptions enacted by the legislature as part ofAB 2257, as addressed in our What's New in 2021 series (links below).

MERCURY MANAGEMENT

Current temperatures well into the hundreds require employers to safeguard workers from heat illness.