By Laurie Nooren, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-CP A recent California Court of Appeals decision in Hirdman v. Charter Communications, LLC brought clarity—and a win—for employers on how to calculate California Paid Sick Leave (PSL) for outside sales employees. This decision...
Court of Appeal Reaffirms California Businesses Need Not Grant Indefinite Medical Leave
Courtesy of Cook Brown LLP Extended medical leave is challenging for California businesses to navigate, especially when there is no clear return to work date. California and federal law state that extended leave is sometimes necessary as a reasonable accommodation,...
How to Have Challenging Employee Conversations
By Cami McLaren, Coach-Style Leadership Trainer and Coach A manager once came to me because her employee had been missing deadlines. She sighed: “I don’t want to discourage her. I don’t want her to shut down. But I also can’t just let this go.” If you’ve felt this...
Velarde v. Monroe Operations, LLC – Crucial Lessons for Roll Out of Arbitration Agreements
Courtesy of Duggan McHugh Law Corporation In Velarde v. Monroe Operations, LLC (June 2025, No. G063626), a California Court of Appeal invalidated an employer’s arbitration agreement due to procedural unconscionability – meaning it was not struck down for its terms,...
2026 California State Minimum Wage Update
With budget season approaching for most clients, we want to ensure you have the most up-to-date information to plan and prepare for 2026. On August 1, 2025, the California Director of the Office of Finance announced a rate increase to the CA minimum wage. Effective...
From Compliance to Compassion: Lactation Accommodation Best Practices
By Stacey Sommerhauser, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-SCP Under California’s Labor Code 1030-1033, all employers must reasonably accommodate an employee who needs to express breast milk during their workday for the employee's infant child each time the employee has a need. ...
Safety Reminder: Heat Illness
By Laurie Nooren, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-CP Even though we are approaching the end of summer, temperatures remain high in sunny California. The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) recently sent an email reminder about upcoming high CA temperatures: “Heat illness is...
From Policy to Practice: Employers New Obligations for Victims Leave Law
By Susan Breslauer, SPHR, PHRca In 2025, new requirements took effect for California employers to protect employees and their family members who are victims of a crime. We published a detailed bill summary “Victims of Violence” in our 2025 Silvers HR Employment Law...
Compliance and Safety: Navigating Cal/OSHA Injury Reporting Requirements
By Sarah Peterson, SHRM-SCP Despite California employers’ best efforts to provide robust training, create policies and procedures for safe work practices and to foster a culture which promotes safety, accidents and injuries still occur. Injuries can vary from minor,...