The Question - The basics of California’s wage statement requirements should be familiar to employers. The consequences for failing to comply with these requirements can be severe....more
In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court held today that the Federal Arbitration Act’s (“FAA”) exemption for any “class of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce” is not limited to workers whose employers are in...more
An issue that has long plagued employers in California is whether time an employee spends on the employer’s premises making their way to or from their worksite is compensable. We have seen a spike in lawsuits raising this...more
Kuciemba v. Victory Woodworks Inc., 14 Cal. 4th 993 (2023)...
Adolph v. Uber Technologies Inc., 14 Cal. 5th 1104 (2023)...
Woodworth v. Loma Linda University Medical Center, No. E072704, 2023 WL 4701976 (Cal. Ct. App. July...more
Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc. v. Hewitt, 143 Superior Court 677 (2023) -
Summary -
Employee was eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) because his “daily-rate” plan did not satisfy...more
In a 6-3 decision issued today, the United States Supreme Court held that a former employee of an offshore oil rig, who earned more than $200,000 a year, was eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act...more
Summary -
Where an employer can and does track the exact time in minutes that its employees work each shift, and those records show that employees were not paid for all the time they worked, neutral time rounding is not a...more
12/8/2022
/ Appeals ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitrators ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
FEHA ,
FMCSA ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Issue Preclusion ,
Judgment on the Pleadings ,
Preemption ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Retroactivity ,
Split of Authority ,
Standing ,
State Labor Laws ,
Timekeeping ,
Wage and Hour
The California Court of Appeal issued a decision this week that could spell the end of time rounding in California. In Camp v. Home Depot U.S.A. Inc., No. H049033, 2022 WL 13874360 (Oct. 24, 2022), the court held that, where...more
Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services. Inc., No. S258966, 2022 WL 1613499 (Cal. May 23, 2022)
Summary: Unpaid meal- and rest-break premiums may serve as the basis for waiting-time penalties and inaccurate wage statement...more
On May 23, 2022, the California Supreme Court issued a long-awaited decision in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc., holding unpaid meal and rest break premiums can give rise to derivative claims for waiting time...more
Summary: Good-faith dispute about employment status of freelancer who modeled in sporadic one- or two-day increments precluded imposition of waiting-time penalties pursuant to Labor Code section 203. ...more
5/17/2022
/ ABC Test ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Arbitration ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Code ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Gunther v. Alaska Airlines, Inc., 72 Cal. App. 5th 334 (2021) -
Summary: Heightened civil penalties under Labor Code section 226.3 ($250 & $1,000) do not apply to all violations of section 226, only when the employer...more
Join us for a lively discussion of critical year-end updates for California employers. We will address new legislation and key case rulings.
Topics will include:
- Vaccine mandates and COVID-19-related considerations...more
11/19/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Litigation ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
State Labor Laws ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Webinars
Welcome to the second edition of “Case in Point,” a series of short videos in which we recap key employment cases from the past quarter and discuss what they mean for employers in California.
In this 6-minute episode, Tyler...more
Chamber of Commerce v. Bonta, No. 20-15291, 2021 WL 4187860 (9th Cir. Sep. 15, 2021) -
Summary: The FAA does not preempt Labor Code section 432.6’s prohibition of mandatory employment arbitration agreements, but does...more
2021 brought several changes to the workplace, but employers should have less to fear following this Payne & Fears conference. Join us for a full day of seminars on the most pressing employment law topics, transmitted to you...more
9/24/2021
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Business Expenses ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Dress Codes ,
Employee Evaluations ,
Employee Monitoring ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Gender Identity ,
Mental Health ,
OSHA ,
Over-Time ,
Political Speech ,
Productivity ,
Rate of Pay ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Social Media Policy ,
Timekeeping ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
Webinars
Zuniga v. Alexandria Care Ctr., LLC, 67 Cal. App. 5th 871 (2021)
Summary: An expert may rely on inadmissible evidence to form an opinion if the source is reliable.
Facts: Plaintiff Rosalinda Zuniga was employed by...more
Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC, No. S259172, 2021 WL 2965438 (Cal. Jul. 15, 2021)
Summary: The term “regular rate of compensation” under California Labor Code section 226.7 is synonymous with the term “regular rate...more
8/11/2021
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
FEHA ,
Labor Code ,
Labor Regulations ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Over-Time ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Rate of Pay ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
Reversing a court of appeal decision that had been welcome news for employers, the California Supreme Court held today in Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC, S259172, that the term “regular rate of compensation,” used for...more
Levanoff v. Dragas, Nos. G058480, G058709, 2021 WL 2621360 (Cal. Ct. App. June 25, 2021) -
Summary: Employer did not violate California law by selecting a method of calculating the regular rate of pay that most benefitted...more
Welcome to the first edition of a new series, “Case in Point.” During these short videos, we’ll recap several of the key employment cases from the last few months and discuss what they mean for employers in California.
In...more
On May 28, 2021, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed Walmart a groundbreaking win in a wage-and-hour class and California Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA") action. Reversing a nearly $102 million...more
California Trucking Association v. Bonta, No. 20-55106, 2021 WL 1656283 (9th Cir. Apr. 28, 2021) -
Summary : The Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act does not preempt the “ABC test” for determining whether a...more
5/12/2021
/ ABC Test ,
Cal Code of Civil Procedure ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA) ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Code ,
Preemption ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Donohue v. AMN Services., LLC, No. S253677, 2021 WL 728871 (Cal. Feb. 25, 2021) -
Summary: Employers cannot engage in the practice of rounding time punches in the meal period context.
Time records that show...more
International Brotherhood. of Teamsters, Local 2785 v. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration No. 18-73488, 2021 WL 139728 (9th Cir. Jan. 15, 2021) -
Summary: Federal law preempts California’s meal and rest break...more
2/12/2021
/ Arbitration Agreements ,
Commercial Truck Drivers ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
FMCSA ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Code ,
Preemption ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
State Labor Laws ,
Trucking Industry ,
Wage and Hour