When an employee is searching for a new job, a positive reference from a former employer can make all the difference. But what happens when a previous employer decides to give a negative reference? Is this legal? May employers give negative job references? Employers...
BUILDING SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES
Employment Law
3 ways employers can reduce the risk of harassment claims
Harassment is illegal, and no one should tolerate it. Both federal and California law specifically prohibit harassment on the basis of an employee’s age, race, sex, religion or other protective characteristics, like physical disability. The law also protects workers...
What is retaliation and how can it cause problems?
Employees have the right to a workplace that’s free of harassment and discrimination. It’s up to employers to set rules that forbid those types of behaviors. Any employee who experiences one of those things or who notices that laws aren’t being complied with at the...
How do you respond to an administrative discrimination charge?
Whether it comes from California’s Labor Commissioner’s Office or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), getting a notice that there’s been a discrimination charge leveled against your company can come as a nasty shock. So, what do you do now? First,...
Cal/OSHA To Enact Non-Emergency COVID-19 Regulation
At its December 15, 2022 meeting, it is anticipated that the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (“OSHSB”) will vote on the pending “non-emergency” regulation relating to COVID-19 prevention. If the standard is approved, it will likely be...
Will making disability accommodations cause you undue hardships?
People with a disability have the same rights that other members of society enjoy. For example, they cannot be denied the right to apply for and obtain a job based solely on a disability. However, employers may need structural or operational changes in order to...
What California’s pay transparency law means for employers
Pay transparency is becoming the wave of the future. That future is starting on Jan. 1, 2023, for California employers. The new pay transparency law requires California employers with at least 15 employees to provide the pay range for any job listing. Further, it...
How can you make sure you’re paying employees properly?
Employers need to be aware of what is required when it comes to compensating employees. As an employer, you do not want to be on the violation of any California labor laws, as this can lead to stiff penalties. Here are a few things to keep in mind: They need to be...
Avoiding coded language in hiring notices
You would never intentionally put out a job listing that’s biased against certain groups of people, but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t doing it accidentally. The language you use in a job listing can not only dissuade certain viable candidates from applying but can...
Governor Signs Bill Extending SPSL & Cal/OSHA Standards Board Considers Non-Emergency COVID-19 Standard
While Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) was set to expire on September 30, 2022, employers should be aware that on September 29, 2022, Governor Newsom signed AB 152 that would extend SPSL to the end of the year. (See Assembly Bill 152.) This bill does not...