The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued new guidance on the classification of independent contractors as employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The DOL Administrator’s Interpretation (AI) sets yet another shadow on a fading classification of workers. ...
Salary Surveys - SB 358 Changes the LandscapeOne of the more far-reaching California state laws affecting gender-based pay will become effective January 1, 2016. The CA Fair Pay Act (SB 358) expands current law to require employers to not only pay all employees fairly...
By Kim Silvers, SPHR-CAWe recently received a draft policy from an employer asking if the following “basic rules” for new employees could be included in the onboarding package:Show up when scheduledLose the attitudeCooperate with fellow staff and managersDo your...
DOL Proposes to Change Exempt Employee Salary MinimumExempt Employee SalaryLet's face it, the government would prefer that just about every employee be paid on an hourly basis, receive overtime, and employers eliminate the exempt salary classifications. Another...
After many iterations, and weeping and gnashing of teeth, the CA paid sick leave (PSL) amendment bill (AB 304) has been signed by Governor Brown. AB 304 has a number of provisions that are intended to clarify the original law (AB 1522 - Healthy Workplaces, Healthy...
Family Rights ActThe California Fair Employment and Housing Council has approved updates to the CA Family Rights Act (CFRA) to add clarification and also align the CFRA more closely with the federal version of this law – the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The...
Sarah Aquino - VP, Integrated Benefits and Insurance Services, Inc. ACA certified by the National Association of Health Underwriters By now we’re all aware that the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) requires U.S. citizens and legal residents to carry a minimum...
5 Ways You Can Be A Better Leader TodayBy Jeremiah Miller, Forging Leaders “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something because HE wants to do it.” ~Dwight D. Eisenhower.There are two approaches to getting what you want. I call these two methods Push...
Questions asked by employers who rarely like the answer. By Kim Silvers, SPHR-CA As HR consultants, we work with hundreds of California employers. They call us to think out loud about employee performance issues, leave of absence dilemmas, compensation challenges, bad...
Preparation for California's New Paid Sick Leave As you've heard, California's new paid sick leave law (AB 1522, also known as the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 or "HW/HF") was effective on January 1, 2015. The most critical part of the law becomes...
WorldatWork reports that U.S. organizations will increase 2015 salary budgets slightly to 3.1 percent over the average 3.0 percent in 2014. Major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and San Francisco will likely be at the 3.1 percent range, while smaller markets...
By Kim Silvers, SPHR-CA In a stunning reversal of a National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) 2007 decision, the Board ruled earlier this month that employees who use company email must be permitted to use it for union organizing and group discussions about terms and...
by Susan Breslauer, SPHR-CA As you know, California's new paid sick leave law (AB 1522, also known as the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014) was signed by Governor Brown in September. The most critical part of the law requiring employers to grant all...
by Kim Silvers, SPHR-CA Independent contractors are becoming a dying breed in these United States. We've seen several cases this year where individuals have been found to be misclassified as independent contractors. The back taxes and penalties (think FICA match,...
By Kim Silvers, SPHR-CA The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (AB 1522), that will be effective July 1, 2015, will require just about all California employers (private and public sectors with one or more employees) to accrue paid sick leave for all...
By Jennifer L. Lippi, J.D. A recent California Supreme Court decision places California employers who pay commissions in another wage and hour dilemma. In the often used "inside sales" exemption classification the CA Supreme Court ruled that all commissioned inside...
By Jennifer L. Lippi, J.D. In a sweeping decision, the Court of Appeal in Cochran v. Schwan’s Home Service, Inc., held that when employees have to use their personal cell phone for work-related purposes, the employer must reimburse them for such use, whether the...
Minimum Wage Increases By Kim Silvers, SPHR-CA AB 10 increases the California state minimum wage from $8 per hour to $9 per hour effective July 1, 2014. The minimum wage will increase again on January 1, 2016 to $10/hr[1]. Many employers are scurrying to assess the...
By Jennifer L. Lippi Knowing as much as possible about an applicant’s background is key to hiring the ideal candidate. In this pursuit, most employers require job applicants to note any criminal convictions on the employment application prior to hire...
By Curt Cetraro and Mitzi Robinson How do you ensure you are selecting the best talent? Most companies struggle to some extent with finding, attracting and hiring the best people to fill core roles within their organization. This is particularly true in a unique...