Category: Employment Law

Given the many high profile cases in the media, it is crucial for any business to understand its responsibility to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Generally, sexual harassment is deemed to be a form of sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1964 (Title VII), and most states have far...

Big news in the world of wage orders! There has been some recent updates to include the most recent increases to the minimum wage. Wage Orders 1 through 12, 15 and 16 have been updated by the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). That leaves Wage Orders 14 and 17 untouched. Now would be a...

Employers are aware of the risk of being sued by their employees for retaliation against an employee that is engaging in a protected activity, but what about the employer’s attorney?  According to a recent case brought to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, an employer’s attorney may also be sued for retaliation under the...

It’s already been a busy year for employers with lots of action from the California Legislature, federal and state agencies, local governments, and our courts.  Wage and hour employment law has received a lot of attention from policy makers, enforcement agencies and the courts. California’s Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) regulates wages and hours of...

Warm weather is on its way, and employers with outdoor places of employment should prepare now to ensure their employees have a safe workplace.  Heat illness is a serious medical condition resulting from the body’s inability to cope with a particular heat load.  Heat illness can cause damage to the brain and other vital...

Effective July 1, 2017 California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) issued new regulations on employers’ use of criminal background information in hiring decisions. The new law prohibits employers from using or seeking criminal history information that has an adverse impact on a protected class, unless the information sought is job related.  Further,...

Federal Law requires that employers complete Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, for every new employee hired after November 6, 1986. The Department of Homeland Security has updated the I-9 Form effective January 22, 2017. Employers must use the new version, dated 11/14/16. If you have any questions regarding the new Form I-9, please do not...

California voters passed Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Prop 64 legalized the recreational use of marijuana by adults 21 years old and over. Despite the passage of Proposition 64, smoking or ingesting marijuana in public will remain illegal, as will smoking or ingesting marijuana in places where smoking tobacco is prohibited. Similarly,...

Here is another quick tip from Attorney Ted Schneider on avoiding common errors in employee handbooks: You can't put a cap on medical leave. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep seeing tips like these.   Schneiders & Associates, LLP is a premier Ventura County law...