With the fast-paced growth of the gig economy, the line between independent contractors and employees has become more and more blurred. This has led to employee misclassification lawsuits filed by workers, claiming employers have taken advantage of their independent contractor status. Those lawsuits could have a more clear outcome after…
Anyone who has ever waited tables knows how valuable a good tip is. It brings the wages of tipped employees up, makes it possible for restaurant owners to keep food prices reasonable, and gives workers an incentive to work during extra busy and stressful shifts throughout the week. U.S. Department…
Many companies have employment policies in place to help separate people’s personal lives from the workplace. Limiting personal calls, restricting social media use on company computers, forbidding offensive materials from being displayed in work spaces and not allowing company resources to be used for personal gain or to spread personal…
Big changes have arrived in the state of California in the new year, many of which will have a direct impact on employers and their employees. The San Francisco Chronicle recently documented a run-down of the biggest additions to state law and how they will change life in California in…
For many California residents, employment discrimination is an all too common part of life, with experiences ranging from subtle biases to outright threats, violence or loss of opportunities to advance. Certain groups receive the brunt of this treatment more than others: Women, the elderly, people of color, LGBTQ community members,…
“Gig” employment, also known as the, “sharing economy,” has exploded across the country, with increasingly more services following in the footsteps of the likes of Uber and Grubhub. These businesses often use apps to connect workers with customers for one-time services. These companies amass an eager base of workers who…
Employee misclassification is a major issue faced by workers in Orange County and in the Greater Los Angeles area. This is an issue taken very seriously by the state as the legislature passed Senate Bill 459 in 2011 to provide penalties to employers for willfully misclassifying employees. This law is…
Labor contracts can involve very complicated issues. When dealing with unions, there is the use of collective bargaining to create contracts that bind the employer and the employees. As the nation increasingly moves toward a so-called “right-to-work” system in many jurisdictions, employers are doing whatever they can to take that…
Recently, California enacted legislation designed to remove some of the traditional barriers to employment. The new law bans most employers from asking about criminal history and past salary history in an initial application. Once an applicant has been offered a position, a criminal background check may be performed for certain…
Wage and hour disputes are one of the most prevalent issues handled by Los Angeles employment attorneys. Yet another California wage-and-hour dispute was reported by LA Weekly, which revealed workers at high-dollar resort allege being financially swindled by their employer. These workers, all employed in the restaurant and hospitality industry, allege…