Labor Law Corner

‘Paid Family Leave’ — Who Can Request It; How It Works

I own a small business, and I have an employee who has been with my company for a few months. He came to me...

Don’t Discourage Employee’s Use of California/Federal Family Leave

One of our employees has notified us that he wants to use state/federal family leave in approximately two months when his baby is born....

Making Sense of Minimum Wage Requirements

With different federal, state, local, and industry-specific minimum wage requirements, how do I know if I am properly paying my California employees? The first step...

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...