Tag: Labor Commissioner

Ask the Expert: ‘Claw back’ of Former Employee’s Bonus

An employee got a signing bonus last year, but has left the organization. We want to ‘claw back’ the bonus. How do we do this? Signing bonuses can be a helpful tool when hiring employees in difficult job markets or to fill jobs requiring very specific skill sets. The biggest issue with a signing bonus […]

Are You Paying the Right Overtime Rate?

Under both California and federal law, nonexempt employees must be paid daily and weekly overtime at the rate of 1.5 times the employee’s “regular rate” of pay. Daily double-time must be paid at 2.0 times the “regular rate.”

Wage and Hour: Wal-Mart to Pay $3.9 Million to California Workers

The California Labor Commissioner has reached an agreement with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., resolving charges that the retail giant underpaid overtime and other wages. Under the terms of the settlement, Wal-Mart will pay $3.9 million in overtime, waiting time penalties, and interest to approximately 50,000 current and former Wal-Mart workers in California. Earlier this year, Wal-Mart […]

Wage and Hour: Upcoming Public Forum on Meal and Rest Periods

The California Labor Commissioner has scheduled a public forum to discuss meal and rest period issues. The forum will be held tomorrow, August 2, in Sacramento. For those who cannot attend, the Labor Commissioner will accept written comments until August 31, 2007. Also, an second forum is being planned for the Southern California area, although […]

Labor Code Violations: New Legislation Softens Blow of Last Year’s Bounty Hunter Law, but Employer Caution Still Required

The Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act, dubbed the “bounty hunter” or “sue your boss” law, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2004. The controversial law gave employees in California almost unlimited rights to sue their employers for just about any Labor Code violation—and to recover the statutory penalties and attorney’s fees.

Meal And Rest Periods: Employers Settle Lawsuits Claiming Back Overtime For Missed Breaks; Know The Rules–And The Penalties

Do you know when you’re required to provide employees with meal and rest breaks? Are you following the rules? If not, you could be headed toward an expensive legal battle. And a recent spate of wage and hour lawsuits charging employers with violating meal and rest break provisions is focusing attention on these rules.

News Notes: Clothing Retailer Settles Employee Uniform Lawsuit

Recently, several big-name clothing retailers—including Polo Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Chicos—have been hit with charges that policies requiring employees to buy and wear the retailers’ own clothes violate California’s wage-and-hour rules stating that employers must pay for employee uniforms. Now Abercrombie & Fitch has agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle charges brought […]