Tag: San Francisco

Exceptions to meal period requirements in California

In California, meal periods for employees must be at least 30 minutes by law, and the employee must be fully relieved of all work during that meal period. The meal period may be unpaid, and it has to be taken within the first 5 hours of the shift. These requirements apply for any workday in […]

California employee misses rest break or meal period: What happens?

What are the consequences for a California employer if an employee misses meal periods or rest breaks? The primary consequence is that premium pay is now due. Premium pay is assessed at one hour of regular wages for each day in which there is a violation. In addition to the premium pay penalty, there are […]

49ers Make Long-Term Investment in Character, Forgo Short-Term Gains

Oswald, CEO of BLR®, offered these thoughts on character (and a recent 49er’s draft decision) in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter: A few weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers, with the 131st pick in the NFL draft, chose Marcus Lattimore, a running back out of the University of South Carolina. Considered by many […]

Is Your Workplace an ‘Experience’?

Do your employees and clients view your workplace as just a facility? At Square, founded by Jack Dorsey, inventor of Twitter, the workplace is an “experience”—complete with an on-site barista! According to an article in Fast Company, the mobile credit-card and money payment system company, with offices in San Francisco, New York City, and Atlanta, […]

So What Are You Doing Later This Week?

Maybe you’ve got the usual lined up: a few (probably more than a few) meetings, some “repeat offender” employees who need to be whipped into shape yet again, piles and piles of paperwork, questions from above and below about all kinds of matters big and small.

Supreme Court Addresses Whether State Prevailing Wage Law Applies to Charter Cities

Yesterday, we looked at a recent case addressing the question of whether wage rates on public works projects are considered a “municipal affair” and not subject to California’s prevailing wage law. Today, the California Supreme Court’s ruling on the issue—plus a newly updated wage/hour resource specifically for California employers.

Must Charter Cities Comply with California Prevailing Wage Law?

Eighty-one years ago, California passed a law requiring contractors on “public works” projects to pay the general prevailing rate of wages to all workers. One year later, the California Supreme Court determined that wage rates for workers on locally funded public works projects are a “municipal affair” and not subject to California’s prevailing wage law.

California vs. federal travel pay

Travel pay poses a significant risk for wage and hour claims since the line between employer time and employee time can easily blur. With employees commuting to and from the workplace; to and from jobsites; and to and from hotels, airports, and conferences, the line between personal time and work time isn’t always clear. The […]

Q&A on Travel Pay in California

Travel pay for non-exempt employees can become complicated in a hurry, especially with California’s employee-friendly wage and hour laws imposing additional burdens on employers beyond the federal travel pay requirements. In a recent CER webinar titled “Travel Pay in California: What and When to Pay Employees on the Move,” Robert J. Wenbourne outlined the differences […]

Get Your Employees’ Attention with a Training ‘Reality Show’

“Brendan” worked for a chemical company for 30 years before he was injured. A mechanic, Brendan was hurt when he and another employee tried to replace three broken drive belts on a blending blower. Three fingers on Brendan’s right hand were injured when they were pinched between the drive belt and a pulley. The incident […]