California employees who work extra hours may be entitled to overtime pay. An eligible employee may be entitled to one and one-half or double their income when they work overtime. Certain employees who work more than 8 hours in a workday or 40 hours in a workweek or...
When does “cultural fit” become age bias?
Employers often talk about "cultural fit" when reviewing candidates for job openings. In many workplaces, that means looking for employees whose values, communication preferences and work ethic align with the organization's environment. While considering cultural fit...
California employers need to know about reproductive loss leave
As a California employer, it can be difficult to keep up with the ever-changing state laws related to wages, discrimination, contracts and paid and unpaid leaves. Some employers (and employees) may not even realize that California requires employers to allow employees...
Legally reducing an employee’s pay
Employers do have the right to reduce an employee's pay in some situations. Employees often feel that their pay should stay constant or that they should be offered a raise, but there are situations in which a business owner may want to make a reduction. It could be a...
Must employers accommodate religious scheduling restrictions?
Observing a religion may require attending weekly services or honoring specific holidays. Employees sometimes need to ask businesses to accommodate their religious observances. For example, retail professionals might need to work on weekends when attending a religious...
Is it possible to fire an employee in a protected class?
Yes, an employee who is in a protected class can often still be terminated from their position, but doing so can be a bit more complex for the employer. As an employer, you know that employees have certain protections against wrongful termination. For instance, Title...
Is your employer guilty of wage theft?
You go to work every day with the expectation that your employer will pay you for the hours you give to the company. Unfortunately, wage theft is more common than you realize. You may not realize that your employer is violating wage and hour laws, costing you...
Does holiday pay or sick leave count toward overtime?
Generally speaking, sick leave and holiday pay do not count toward overtime pay. This means that a person could technically be paid for more than 40 hours in a week without qualifying for overtime. For example, say that a person was sick on Monday and took paid time...
What counts as autism discrimination in the workplace
Social interactions don’t come with clear labels, and for neurodivergent individuals in the workplace, this uncertainty can be even more noticeable. Sometimes, what feels “off” is hard to explain, especially when it involves how someone is treated differently over...
Are wrongful termination claims impossible with at-will employment?
Many modern employees in the United States are at-will employees. This essentially means that they are not operating under any employment contracts or agreements that they have signed. They have simply agreed to take a job for as long as they are willing, but they...