Labor Law Corner
Inappropriate Remarks No Reason Not to Investigate Harassment Claim
An employee has filed a sexual harassment complaint; however, her co-workers have noted that she herself makes a lot of lewd jokes and uses...
How to Figure Family Leave Eligibility for Remote Employees
Our corporate office in California has 49 employees, while we also have remote employees in other states — one in Nevada, two in New...
Consistent Treatment, Documentation Key to Reducing Retaliation Risks
An employee complained about workplace conditions but had ongoing performance issues before and after the complaint. Can I still discipline the employee despite the...
Pay for Jury Duty Depends on Employee Status: Exempt or Nonexempt
One of our exempt managers has requested leave to attend jury duty. Do we have to allow him to go on jury duty and...
Military Caregiver Leave: When It Applies and When It Doesn’t
I know my business is covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) because we have more than 50 employees, but I...
Exempt Employee Salary Deductions: Proceed with Caution
An exempt employee took off Monday and Tuesday, worked a partial day on Wednesday, and worked full days on Thursday and Friday. He has...
Hours Worked, Not ‘Full-Time’ Label Key to Managing Benefits
What is the minimum number of hours an employee needs to work to be considered full-time?
California and federal law generally do not categorize the...
Hot Weather No Excuse to Abandon Dress Code Requirements
During a recent heat wave, several employees showed up for work with visible tattoos, strappy tops, and flip-flop shoes. This is all in violation...
Job Duties, Compensation Keys to Computer Professional Exemption
We would like to make our information technology (IT) manager an exempt employee. May we use the computer professional exemption for this purpose?
As with...
Political Speech at Work: How to Manage While Protecting Rights
As a small business owner, I’ve noticed an increase in political discussions in my workplace. Some employees are getting into heated debates, affecting productivity...
