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Employment Law Tip: Reviewing Your Vacation Policy

It’s that time of year when vacations are in full swing, and maybe all the overlapping vacation requests and questions about how vacation works have exposed some gaps in your vacation policy? If so, it’s time to review your policy. Here are the key areas a comprehensive vacation policy should address: Who is entitled to […]

New federal minimum wage poster available

On July 24, the federal minimum wage rose to $5.85 per hour, with further increases in the next two years that will take the rate to $7.25 per hour. Most California employers aren’t affected by this rate increase, as the California minimum wage remains higher. However, all employers are required to post the current federal […]

Exempt Employees: Court Sheds Light on the Administrative Exemption

The administrative exemption from overtime can be one of the most difficult of the various overtime exemptions to apply, and it causes employers the most headaches. Now, in one of the few published judicial decisions to address this subject, a California appeals court has provided guidance on who qualifies as an exempt administrator. Customer Service […]

Wage and Hour: Supreme Court Upholds “Companionship Services” Exemption

Evelyn Coke, a domestic worker who provided companionship services in New York, sued her employer, Long Island Care at Home, Ltd. She alleged that the company didn’t pay her overtime wages, in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employer asked the court to dismiss the suit because Coke and workers like […]

Short Takes: Bereavement Leave

Does the law require us to provide bereavement leave?  Our HR Management & Compliance Report: How To Comply with California and Federal Leave Laws, covers everything you need to know to stay in compliance with both state and federal law in one of the trickiest areas of compliance for even the most experienced HR professional. […]

Employment Law Tip: Parental Leave for School Activities

It’s hard to believe, but many schools will be back in session in just a few weeks, which means that parents may be called upon to make an appearance at their children’s schools. Now’s a good time for employers to review the rules regarding when parents can take work leave to participate in their kids’ […]

Employment Law Tip: EEO-1 Deadline Nearing; Are You Ready?

If your company is required to file an annual EEO-1 Form with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), take note that the deadline is September 30, 2007. This year, employers must use the new and revamped version of the form (Standard Form 100, rev. 1/06). The EEO-1 report must be filed annually by employers with […]

Short Takes: Reference Checks

We’re trying to set up our policy for doing reference checks on final applicants. Can you help us with some basic guidelines? What if the former employers won’t talk?  Job Descriptions in California: How To Tackle Tricky Drafting Hurdles Job descriptions can be your best friend or your worst enemy from both a practical and […]

Employment Law Tip: Administrative Exemption Quick Checklist

Here’s a quick checklist to help you determine if an employee qualifies under the administrative exemption to the overtime laws. Your administrative employee is probably exempt in California only if you answer yes to all of the following: Does the employee perform office or nonmanual work directly related to management policies or to the general […]

Employment Law Tip: Juggling Vacation Requests

The summer vacation season is in full swing, and that means supervisors are getting inundated by employee vacation requests, some of which might be last-minute. While you don’t want to interfere with employee plans to spend time with their family and friends, you also need to make sure your business staffing needs are adequately covered, […]