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In the waning days of 2022, Congress passed a bipartisan $1.7-trillion spending bill that includes legislation that expands rights for pregnant and nursing employees. The budget bill, which President Biden has signed into law, included the Pregnant Workers Fair Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act). Employers will
One of the times that your company’s data and intellectual property are most at risk is when you have a departing employee, be that on their own accord or when they are fired or laid off. With employees maybe feeling disgruntled after being let go, on the way out some of them will pocket important
California’s Paid Family Leave program allows California workers to take paid leave to bond with a new child (through birth, adoption or foster care) or to care for a seriously ill family member. While it’s great for the employee, that can sometimes leave the employer in a bind, particularly a small employer with just a
A California judge in May 2022 approved an $18 million settlement between video-game giant Activision Blizzard and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after the federal agency accused the company of subjecting employees to severe sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination, and that it engaged in retaliation against employees who complained.  A few months earlier Tesla
Workplace bullying is on the increase, and it constitutes a major risk to companies that fail to take action.  If you learn of a bully in your ranks, you need to take immediate steps to mount a serious investigation and take action if the accusations turn out to be valid. The financial future of your
If you hire interns during the summer months as a way to buffer your operations during this busy period or at any other time, you need to understand your obligations as an employer, particularly if your interns are unpaid.  Under federal law, the majority of interns must be paid at least the prevailing minimum wage
With wage and hour litigation increasing in California, employers need to be especially careful of employees who eat lunch at their desks and work while eating.  While it’s not an issue for exempt employees, it is for hourly workers, who should be required to take their regular rest and lunch breaks without working while they
The latest trend in workplace safety best practices is tracking “leading indicators” ― or measuring performance based on the lessons learned from past events ― to reduce the chances of future injuries. Safety professionals are increasingly keeping track of near misses, hours spent on training and facility housekeeping and measuring the impact on the organization’s
By now, employers should all realize and understand that sexual harassment is illegal. Employers are directly responsible for employee behavior, which gives harassed workers recourse in bringing legal actions against those that employ them. Work-related harassment and discrimination cases have been steadily climbing since the Civil Rights Act of 1991 allowed for trial by jury,
Despite a law requiring that Cal/OSHA create indoor heat illness regulations by 2019, no regulations are yet on the books, making for a difficult situation as many parts of California are experiencing some of the highest temperatures on record. The workplace safety agency implemented heat illness prevention regulations for outdoor workers in 2013, but as the sustained heat wave
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