Reduce Your Risk of a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Managing the risk of a sexual harassment lawsuit requires employers to take specific measures to help prevent sexual harassment before it occurs.  These measures can be summarized as three part process: (1)  establishing a sexual harassment policy; (2) implementing procedures to enforce the policy and (3) enforcing the policy through those procedures. Employers begin by issuing…

Itemized Wage Statements

Each time that wages are paid, a California employee must the employee with an itemized statement that shows the following nine pieces of information: 1.              Gross wages earned, 2.              Total hours worked (unless the employee is exempt from overtime requirements), 3.              If the employee is paid on piece rate basis, the number of piece rate…

Uniforms & Tools

The term “uniform” includes wearing apparel and accessories of distinctive design or color.  Ordinary work clothes are not considered uniforms when the employees have free choice of what to wear. When the employer specifies the design or color or requires that an insignia be affixed, it is considered a uniform. An employer who requires uniforms…

Tip & Gratuities

“Gratuities” include any tip, gratuity, money, or part thereof that has been paid or given to or left for an employee by a patron of a business over and above the actual amount due the business for services rendered or for goods, food, drink, or articles sold or served to the patron.  (Labor Code §…

Pay Days

Wages must be paid according to a regularly set schedule. (Labor Code § 207)  When employees work overtime during a pay period, the payment of the overtime wages may be delayed to the next regular payday. (Labor Code § 204)  All earned wages must be paid at least twice a month, on days designated in…

Five Common Mistakes of Employee Handbooks

1.              Containing material that is unrelated to the employer. For example, any policy that the employer does not enforce and any procedure that the employer does not follow should be removed. follow 2.              Inconsistencies with other documents.  When an employee handbook conflicts with a provision of a contract between the employer and an employee, a…

Employer Records

Employers must keep accurate records of the time worked by their non-exempt employees.  Common ways of keeping time records include: writing out the time worked; punching a time clock or using a computer login program.  No matter how they are created, time records must show: (1) when the employee begins and ends each work period;…

Failure to Respond to a Request for an Employee’s Personnel File Now Costs $750

California employers have had a duty to maintain certain employee records and a duty to give current and former employees access to their personnel file.  Effective the 1st day of 2013, the California enacted several changes regarding the procedure and timing for responding to a current or former employee’s request for their personnel file. Under…