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For some companies, it’s a festive frenzy with employees running around like caffeinated elves. For others, it’s more of a “put on your fuzzy socks and hibernate” vibe. Many businesses shut down entirely, giving everyone time to recharge, but before you sign off for the holidays, let’s talk about some not-so-festive—but essential—considerations for holiday closures, especially in California.

While some companies are busier than ever during the holiday season buzz, for others, December represents a “slowdown”—a time for rest, hibernation, and festivities. However, there are important considerations to keep in mind during holiday closures, particularly when it comes to exempt employee pay and vacation policies in California.

The recent PAGA reform marks impactful changes to how wage and hour lawsuits will be litigated going forward. There are now new opportunities for employers to reduce their penalties if hit with a PAGA lawsuit, by demonstrating they took reasonable steps to comply with wage and hour laws.

We may still be in 2024, however, many businesses are now working on next year’s budget, especially with the announcement of 2025 minimum wage and exempt salary increases.

Many employees in the healthcare industry have been looking forward to (and employers have been bracing for) minimum wage increases, which were due to take effect in June. However, at the eleventh hour, the Legislature passed SB 828, granting employers an additional month—until October 15, 2024 to comply.

Do employees need a right to disconnect from work? The California legislature may think so. AB 2751, an unprecedented bill modeled after European countries, would require employers to define employees’ nonworking hours and prohibit employers from contacting workers during those hours, except for scheduling changes or emergencies.

In the 2024 case, Huerta v. CSI Electrical Contractors Inc., the employer had a long process before employees could start their workday. As you may have guessed, the issue in this lawsuit was that employees did not get paid for their time spent waiting before they could clock in at their worksite.

Inevitably, at each year’s end, businesses must prepare for increasing minimum wage and salary requirements taking effect on January 1, 2024. Now is the time for due diligence to avoid any surprises.

The world of wage and hour is ever changing in California. Between case law and local ordinances, there have been some big developments lately! For a few quick updates, keep reading.

Governor Newsom signed AB 257 into legislation for 2023. Known as the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act ("FAST Recovery Act") is unprecedented legislation, creating a council to set wages, working hours, and other working conditions for fast food restaurant workers at establishments with 100 or more locations across the nation.

Whether your workplace is fully remote, operating in a hybrid fashion, or sticking to a traditional onsite schedule, it’s important to understand all of the important considerations for employers in the emerging post-COVID workplace. Join us for CEA’s 2022 Mid-Year Labor Law Update. This engaging webinar will be presented by California subject matter experts, who will discuss new issues and best practices in employment and HR compliance. CEA members and non-members can register here for this virtual event coming up on June 16th.

Employers with the best of intentions can often wind up in a pickle when an employee ends up owing them money. One scenario occurs when you advance employee wages via a loan or allow them to take vacation time before they earned it. Another example occurs when you accidentally pay an employee more than they were owed.

Employers can reduce their financial liability and the risk of wage and hour lawsuits by understanding their obligations and avoiding common mistakes. Starting from the date of hire all the way to the employment termination date, let’s review five of the most common wage and hour mistakes we see at CEA and solutions on how to fix them!

As California counties move into less restrictive tiers and vaccinations become more widely available, more businesses are resuming their onsite operations. A common scenario for onsite employers is that an employer will find out an employee is asymptomatic after they have already reported to work. If the employer sends the employee home, are they owed reporting time pay? 

A historic lightning siege has caused more than 367 new fires in recent days, Chief Jeremy Rahn, a Cal Fire Spokesman said at a recent news conference. As the raging wildfires in Northern California double in size, we are now seeing the destruction of many homes and communities. Once an immediate crisis has passed, people are left holding a lot of emotions. Survivors have rebuilding to do and are now expected to adapt to a "new normal" both at home and at work.

A pivotal California decision on the issue of "reporting time pay," has expanded the definition of "time worked" here in California. In Ward v. Tilly's, a divided California appellate court recently held that "reporting time pay" is owed to employees who have to call in two hours in advance to see if they are on the schedule (and then are told not to come into work).

The California Supreme Court recently held that payroll providers aren’t on the hook for paycheck errors and wage and hour violations. Instead, the employer alone is liable for wage and other pay violations

The California Labor Commissioner’s Office secured $1.7 million in assets from the owners of a Bay Area restaurant chain, Mango Garden, to pay 56 workers who were victims of “wage theft.”