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An increasingly common series of questions employers have been asking of late relate to their employees’ use of CBD. Will use of CBD products impair employees? If an employee or applicant tests positive on a drug test and blames seemingly innocuous use of CBD, what should we do? Should it be permissible to allow use of CBD products in a zero-tolerance workplace?

It may surprise you to learn that the number one type of federal employment claim is not harassment, it’s retaliation.  That’s right – year over year, the majority of all claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are for retaliation.  

SB 1343, requires that all employers of 5 or more persons provide 1 hour of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to non-managerial employees and 2 hours of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to managerial employees by January 1, 2020. 

For decades now, the California Equal Pay Act has prohibited an employer from paying its employees less than employees of the opposite sex for equal work. In 2016, the California Fair Pay Act was enacted to strengthen the Equal Pay Act. 

A pivotal California decision on the issue of "reporting time pay," has expanded the definition of "time worked" here in California. In Ward v. Tilly's, a divided California appellate court recently held that "reporting time pay" is owed to employees who have to call in two hours in advance to see if they are on the schedule (and then are told not to come into work).

Unlike the classic Bob Dylan song, “The Times They Are [not] A-Changin’.” Gender stereotypes are still out there and don’t appear to be leaving the workplace anytime soon.

A well-written employee handbook often acts like a sword and a shield for your company. Protecting you when you need it and allowing you to sever bad employment relationships quickly.

Avoid costly mistakes and make sure you are complying with California requirements. You never know if your business will be hit with an ICE inspection! 

The California Fair Employment and Housing Council recently finalized new regulations that will change one of the mandatory California notices that must be posted in the workplace effective April 1.  

If your company doesn’t have a strong meal and rest break policy, it may get eaten alive! Ever since the pivotal Brinker court decision in 2012, California law has been clear, but let’s review it again.

Companies defending against claims of harassment or discrimination might sometimes use the "equal opportunity jerk" defense. If this is the best defense your organization has, be careful! Not only is this a weak defense, but it can and will get your company in hot water.

California has expanded its list of banned interview questions. Whether you conduct your own interviews or rely on a recruiter, be sure to steer clear from these six topics.

If you have been paying attention to national news recently, you likely have heard of the tragic shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Illinois.

The California Supreme Court recently held that payroll providers aren’t on the hook for paycheck errors and wage and hour violations. Instead, the employer alone is liable for wage and other pay violations

More than 1 in 4 workers indicated that due to recent high profile allegations of sexual harassment, office romances are not acceptable. Although opinions might be changing, 52% of survey respondents admitted to having had at least one office romance.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently published a Final Rule to amend its workplace injury and illness recordkeeping regulation. 

The California Labor Commissioner’s Office secured $1.7 million in assets from the owners of a Bay Area restaurant chain, Mango Garden, to pay 56 workers who were victims of “wage theft.”

Large sexual harassment awards are not going away anytime soon, as demonstrated by a recent verdict out of Los Angeles. A jury awarded over $11 million dollars to two winery employees.

As the government shutdown continues due to disagreements between Congress and the Trump Administration, several services are impacted and may affect workplace employment-related issues. Read on to see what’s impacted and what's not.

Have you ever encountered a problem and found that a previous action has now set a precedent for your future action? In plain language, “you probably just shot yourself in the foot!”

In California, all employers have workplace posting obligations. Between the state and federal requirements, California employers must post a total of 18 state and federal employment law notices.

The Department of Industrial Relations has issued a notice reminding employers of the upcoming minimum wage increases. Under legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour over time, California’s minimum wage will increase on January 1 to $12 per hour for employers with 26 employees or more and to $11 per hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees.

The IRS has issued the 2019 optional standard mileage rate, with a significant increase for the new year. The optional standard mileage rate is used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

A new law for next year, SB 1343, requires that all employers of 5 or more employees provide 1 hour of harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to non-managerial employees and 2 hours of harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to managerial employees by January 1, 2020.

Small Business California (SB-CA) has announced their annual survey is now open to small business owners throughout the state. This survey is used to develop an action plan addressing concerns that were brought up to build a stronger small business community.

When it comes to preventing workplace harassment, a recent study by SHRM has mixed reviews. While there is some progress, there is also an absence of an overall cultural shift. For instance, two-thirds of executives have not changed their behaviors at all.

Cal/OSHA recently adopted emergency regulations requiring certain employers in California to electronically submit their 2017 Form 300A summaries of work-related injuries and illnesses to federal OSHA by December 31, 2018.

The state minimum wage will increase on January 1, 2019, to $12 an hour for employers with 26 or more employees and $11 an hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees. Because of this, the minimum salary for the administrative, professional and executive exemptions will also increase.

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission estimates that 75% of all workplace harassment incidents go unreported. Oftentimes this occurs because the would-be-reporter is afraid of retaliation. In other words, the ‘kill the messenger’ syndrome is alive and well in bullying, as it is in sexual harassment.

Election Day is Tuesday November 6, 2018, and the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Here’s what employers need to know.