Tag: california hr
Another Employer Hit With Class Action Over Tips
Caribou Coffee, a Minnesota-based coffee shop chain, has been slapped with a class action lawsuit charging that the company violated state labor laws, similar to California’s, that bar management from sharing in customer tips left for employees. The lawsuit was filed close on the heels of a California court’s ruling in March 2008 that Starbucks […]
Charter Counties Not Bound by Labor Code Compensation Provisions
DSLE Manual Quickly Updated to Reflect Brinker
Just days after a California appeals court issued the Brinker Restaurant Corp. ruling on meal and rest periods (see our story on the new case on p. 1), the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) updated its Enforcement Policies and Interpretations Manual to reflect the new legal interpretations the court provided. It remains to […]
Employee Training Costs: Repayment Agreement OK’d by Court, but Debt Can’t Be Deducted from Final Paycheck; Problem Areas to Watch for
From the Experts: Employee PDA Use After Hours Can Create Big Wage and Hour Liability; Precautions for Employers to Take
New Law Grants Final Paycheck Relief to Temporary Staffing Industry
The California Supreme Court’s 2006 decision in Smith v. Superior Court (L’Oreal) caused a big stir in the temporary staffing industry (see CWHA August 2006 and June 2008). The court held that final wages under California Labor Code Sections 201 and 203 must be paid immediately upon “discharge,” which includes “when an employer releases an […]
Meal and Rest Breaks: Important New Case Gives Employers and Employees New Flexibility; Should Mean Fewer Wage and Hour Class Actions
California employers are cheering a significant new appeals court decision that provides guidance on meal and rest period obligations and gives employers and employees new flexibility. The court ruled that you must only make breaks available—you don’t have to ensure that employees take them. We’ll look at the new case, what it means for the […]
Two Big Age Bias Settlements—and 3 Lawsuit Prevention Tips
Several new age bias settlements have hit the California headlines. Electronics retailer Best Buy will pay $17,500 to settle a lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of a 68-year-old job applicant who contended he was denied employment because of his age. According to the suit, Reinhold Schouweiler was rejected for a […]
Sample Employee Background Checks Policy
To ensure that individuals who join [Company Name] are well qualified and have a strong potential to be productive and successful employees, it is [Company Name]’s policy to investigate the backgrounds and employment references of applicants. In addition, [Company Name] may conduct background investigations when employees are being considered for promotions or transfers, or in […]