Question:
We are a California employer. After all the publicity surrounding class actions over meal and break periods, we instituted automatic warnings if employees take too long or too short a meal or rest break. Is anyone really enforcing this kind of discipline or are we wasting our time? Answer→
Question:
I was laid off by my Montana employer and I have decided to help my brother with his start up business. I will be a 50% owner but we are not going to take a salary until revenue is substantial. An accountant friend tells me that my work for free for the start-up may disqualify me for the unemployment benefits I am currently receiving. This cannot be right. I have paid into the unemployment system for years and I am not receiving any wages. Answer→
Question:
Our office manager occasionally runs errands during the day such as delivering something to a customer or picking up lunch for a meeting. We reimburse her at the IRS rate for mileage. Yesterday, on her way home, she rear-ended the car in front of her causing substantial damage. She has asked for the company’s insurance information. We told her the company is not liable because we are not liable for anything that happens during her normal commute. Are we on solid ground? We are in California. Answer→
Question:
We are located in California and would like to change to a piece-rate system where we pay non-exempt employees a set amount for completed tasks. I understand that this is referred to as paying for a “piece-rate” and it is legal as long as the employee is compensated at least at the minimum wage for all hours worked. Is this correct? Answer→
Question:
We have an employee who is claiming that he should be paid for time cleaning up his work station after logging out of our electronic time keeping system each night. Literally, he spends one or two minutes straightening his piles of paper and on other trivial similar tasks. Another company HR representative said that every minute an employee spends on any tasks must be paid for. We have offices on the West Coast including California. Do we really have to pay him for this time? Answer→
Question:
We are a retail store. An employee in the warehouse requested an assigned chair to sit on when he is between tasks. Must we comply with this request in our California locations? Answer→
Question:
We have a part-time employee in San Francisco, CA who works Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. as support for our sole salesperson in the Bay Area. She has recently requested to alter her schedule to work only 3 days a week. I know there was a new San Francisco law about flexible schedules but we only have two employees in San Francisco so I am sure we are not covered by this law. Correct? Answer→
Question:
I have always understood that California employers that misclassify workers as independent contractors face potential liability, including compensatory damages, penalties and attorney’s fees. I recently heard a news broadcast that mentioned there were cases suggesting that recent court decisions have approved the use of independent contractors in California. Is that true and what are the takeaways? Answer→
Question:
We recently interviewed an applicant with a very spotty resume; there were repeated gaps in his employment history which were apparent from his resume. He was not hired and called HR to complain that it is illegal for us to consider his unemployment status. Is there a new law on this subject? Answer→
Question:
An employee in our Corporate Office recently informed Human Resources that she was requesting bereavement leave with respect to her sister’s death last month. When she was informed of our company policy, that up to 3 days of paid time off may be taken to attend the funeral, she said her attorney friend told her a new law requires two weeks. I’ve never heard of this law? Answer→
Jack SullivanJack is an associate in Dorsey’s Labor & Employment group, where he focuses his practice on employment advice, litigation, and traditi...
Ieva AubinAs an employment and business immigration attorney, Ieva repres...
Rebecca BernhardRebecca's experience spans traditional labor and employment, immigrat...
Marilyn ClarkA Partner in the Labor & Employment practice group, Marilyn’s prac...
Michael DrokeMike started his career as a client, not a lawyer. He represented the ...
Jillian KornblattJillian is a Partner in Dorsey’s Labor & Employment group, where...
Laura LestradeLaura began practicing at Dorsey in 1992 and has since counseled...
Jessica LinehanJessica is a Partner in the Labor and Employment group. She advises cli...
JoLynn MarkisonJo is a Partner in Dorsey’s Labor & Employment Group. Jo represents l...
Ryan MickFor more than a decade, Ryan has counseled corporate clients an...
Melissa RaphanMelissa is a Partner in Dorsey’s Labor and Employment group....
David Y. TrevorWith 30 years’ experience in Dorsey’s Trial Department and Labor &...
Robert WebberBob has 20+ years of experience handling employment-based immigra...
Gabrielle WirthEmployers turn to Gabrielle for guidance on how they can comply with...
