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EXPANDING RETIREMENT ACCOUNT OPPORTUNITIES

By June 30, 2021, California employers with more than 50 on payroll were required to ● offer employees a retirement savings plan such as a 401(k); or ● to facilitate employee access toCalSavers, a state-run savings program for automatic payroll deductions deposited into aRoth IRA. SeeMandatory Options for Retirement Funding: Mid-Size Employers Must Register for CalSavers by June 30, 2021(June 4, 2021).

CHILL, IT'S THE LAW

Each California employer is required to give employeesat least one day off during the company's defined seven-day workweek(e.g., Monday to Sunday; Sunday to Saturday). There are three main exceptions:

CAUTIONARY TALE EPISODE 53 POETIC JUSTICE SMACK DOWN

As larger employers have been discovering lately,arbitration agreementscan be more of a curse than a blessing.

KEEPING TIME

Employers must maintain accurate records of all time worked by hourly employees.Labor Code 1174(d). Management may not prohibit employees from keeping a personal record of such work time.

I-9 RULES RE-TIGHTENED

Federal law requires employers to obtain from every new worker a completedForm I-9and satisfactory supporting documents fromLists A, B and/or Cas a condition of hiring. The documents on List B establish identity only, such as driver's licenses, voter registration cards, or military IDs.

MIND THE GAP

A troublingMarch 15, 2022 reportshows California's largest employers have yet to ensure adequate equal employment opportunities in their hiring and pay practices.

NAIL IT DOWN

In the absence of a writing or factors showing otherwise, California and most other states presume employment relationships are "at-will." The at-will employee or employer may terminate the relationship at any time, with or without advance notice, and for any lawful reason or no reason.

CAUTIONARY TALE EPISODE 52 PREDATOR EXTINCTION PROGRAM

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) hassued Chipotle, alleging the fast food chain's management failed to investigate and resolve harassment of young female employees severe enough to force two of them to leave their jobs.

FACE OFF

On February 28, 2022, California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated its face maskguidance.Effective March 1, 2022, CPDH no longerrequiresmasks for unvaccinated individuals inmostindoor public settings, although it strongly recommends that all persons, regardless of vaccine status, continue using well-fitting surgical masks or respirators indoors.