By Laurie Nooren, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-CP For years, California courts permitted employers to round employee time entries to the nearest quarter hour. This practice originated in an era when employers did not have access to technology capable of easily and precisely...
Pay Data Reporting: California’s Favorite Homework Assignment
Ashley Holsey, SPHR, PHR If you employ people in California, it’s that time of year again. Pay Data Reporting is the state’s annual homework assignment—required, important, and surprisingly manageable if you start preparing early. Why It Matters Under SB 464,...
Coaching vs. Discipline: Tis the Question.
By Kate Smith, SHRM-CP Supervisors/managers often struggle to determine whether an employee issue should be addressed through coaching/counseling or formal disciplinary action. Making the wrong call or escalating the process too quickly can create risk and...
Know Your Rights (But Don’t Panic): What California’s New Notice Really Means for Employers
By Sarah Peterson, SHRM-SCP, PHRca With the new year came yet another new notice requirement for California employers. The Workplace Know Your Rights Act Notice purpose is to provide employees with information on the rights and protections afforded to them as...
California Paid Sick Leave and Outside Sales Employees
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...