Special Edition Employer COVID-19 Preparedness Guide March 18, 2020 Workplace Issues and COVID-19 As the 2019 Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic spreads across the world, it is vital that employers remain vigilant in monitoring the situation and staying informed of governmental orders and developments. As the second of a series of informational e-alerts, Ricketts Case discusses some […]
Employment Law Update — March 13, 2020 A CIRCUIT SPLIT ON WHETHER OBESITY IS A DISABILITY. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against applicants and employees with disabilities that can otherwise perform the essential functions of their jobs. The ADA defines a “disability” as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one […]
Workplace Issues and COVID-19 For weeks, we have been bombarded with information about the 2019 Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) on a daily basis. It’s in the news, on social media, and it’s the hot topic around the office. While it is important to be informed, and there are a multitude of excellent resources available online, there is […]
Employment Law Update – February 14, 2020 CALIFORNIA’S MANDATORY ARBITRATION BAN SUSPENDED. On January 31, 2020 a California federal court granted a preliminary injunction to enjoin enforcement of AB 51 – which purported to severely restrict the ability of employers to require employees to arbitrate most types of employment disputes – pending a decision by […]
November 12, 2019 CONSUMER LEGISLATION AND CASE DEVELOPMENTS CALIFORNIA EXPANDS DATA-BREACH NOTIFICATION LAW: California’s security breach notification law requires businesses that incur data breaches involving “personal information” to notify the individuals affected and, where more than 500 California residents are notified, the California Attorney General. Assembly Bill 1130, signed into law by Governor Newsom on […]
CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT LAW UPDATE October 22, 2019 In addition to several key new California laws summarized in our October 16, 2019 E-Alert, recapped below are several cases impacting California employers decided thus far in October. CLARIFYING MEAL AND REST PERIOD PENALTY CALCULATIONS: On October 9, 2019, a California appellate court, in Ferra v. Loews Hollywood […]
Governor Newsom and the California Legislature Let Fly a Grand Slam of New Employment Laws for 2020 As the 2019 Legislative season ends, California employers will find it’s a whole new ballgame for 2020. New laws passed by the legislature, and signed into law by Governor Newsom, will make it harder to establish independent contractor […]
California’s Crowning Achievement: California Becomes First State to Ban Natural Hairstyle Based Discrimination August 7, 2019 Last month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a novel anti-discrimination bill into law, making California the first state to ban natural hairstyle-based discrimination. S.B. 188, also known as the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair, or “Crown […]
March 28, 2019 All employers who use the services of a background checking agency to procure a background check report on an employment applicant should know that the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) requires that the applicant sign a written disclosure and an authorization before the report may be obtained. Specifically, to ensure the […]
May 11, 2017 On Monday May 8, 2017, the California Supreme court issued its decision in Mendoza v. Nordstrom, Inc., clarifying when and how employers must provide employees with a day of rest under California Labor Code Sections 551 and 552. The specific questions tackled by the Court were: Is the one day of rest […]