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Telecommuting: What Are the Pros and Cons?

We have a few employees who want to work from home. While their work is the type of thing that can be done from home, we’re unsure if there are any legal risks we need to watch out for. Also, we’re concerned that their productivity will suffer. Do you have any advice for us? — […]

Wage and Hour: How Do We Sort Out Holiday Pay?

We’re having trouble getting our holiday pay policy clarified. If our employees don’t work on a holiday, they get paid straight time for their normal hours for the holiday. If they do work on a holiday, do they get time and one-half for the hours worked on the holiday plus the straight time holiday pay? […]

Is Meal Period Remedy a Penalty or Wages?

Under the California Labor Code, an employer that fails to provide employees with a required meal or rest period must pay the employee an extra hour’s pay. But a controversy is brewing over whether this remedy is a penalty or just wages. Why does it matter? To recover a penalty, an employee must file a […]

No Obligation to Make Light-Duty Accommodation Permanent

According to a new decision from a California Court of Appeals, the state antibias law doesn’t obligate an employer to make a temporary light-duty accommodation for a disabled employee into a permanent one. The case involved Burbank police officer Mark Raine, who injured his knee while on his normal patrol duty. The police department reassigned […]

EEOC to Pay Big for Frivolous Pregnancy Bias Suit

A federal judge in Los Angeles has ordered the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to pay a hefty $1,022,653 in attorney’s fees and expenses to a Pasadena law firm that the EEOC unsuccessfully sued last year for pregnancy bias and sexual harassment. In issuing the order, the judge stated that the EEOC’s lawsuit “was unreasonable, […]

Employment Law Tip: Adopting a Safe Driving Program

If you have employees who drive motor vehicles for work purposes, it’s important to take a close look at whether you’re doing all you can to ensure employees drive safely and avoid accidents—and your best bet is to implement a comprehensive driver safety program. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an […]