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Can I Arbitrate Private Attorneys General Act Claims in California? Posted on: December 21, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
A common question California employers have is whether they can arbitrate wage and hour claims brought under the Private Attorneys General Act – commonly known as PAGA – in California. Until recently, the answer to that question has been a resounding “no” ever since a 2014 California Supreme Court case held that employers cannot make employees waive their rights to bring PAGA claims on a group-wide basis through an arbitration agreement.
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Tags:
california, paga, arbitration, wage and hour, employment law, labor law
A CROWNing Achievement for Massachusetts Posted on: November 01, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
On the heels of other jurisdictions that have enacted similar legislation over the past few years, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed the CROWN Act into law on July 26, 2022, making Massachusetts the 18th state to enact such protections. The Massachusetts CROWN Act went into effect on October 24, 2022.
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Tags:
massachusetts, discrimination, hairstyle, crown act, dress code
Eighth Circ. Finds Financial Conflict of Interest Not Always Sufficient to Constitute Breach of ERISA Fiduciary Duty of Loyalty Posted on: October 20, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
In recent years, there has been a proliferation of lawsuits alleging breach of fiduciary duty against sponsors of 401(k) plans and service providers to those plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA. In a recent case, the Eighth Circuit held that a plan service provider did not violate ERISA despite having the ability to unilaterally set a low interest rate on a proprietary investment it offered to the employer’s 401k plan, and then profited from participants who invested in it.
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Tags:
erisa, employee benefits, 401k, retirement, fiduciary duty, human resources
Pennsylvania Dept. of Labor and Industry Updates Minimum Wage Act for Tipped and Overtime Employees Posted on: October 06, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
After maintaining the same overtime regulations for more than four decades, for the second time in less than two years, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has updated the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act to expand wage protections to tipped and overtime employees. Effective August 5, 2022, the DLI revised its wage regulations regarding compensation for tipped and salaried employees with fluctuating schedules who work overtime.
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Tags:
pennsylvania, wage and hour, payroll, minimum wage, tip credit, tipped employees
NYC Announces Private Businesses Will Soon No Longer Be Required to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines Posted on: September 29, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
New York City has, until now, stood apart from the rest of the country by holding tight to its mandate that all private businesses require their employees to be vaccinated if they are working in the office. Many employers will be pleased to learn of Mayor Eric Adams’ recent announcement that, effective November 1, 2022, private businesses in the City will no longer be required to mandate their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.
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Tags:
new york, nyc, covid-19, vaccinations, employment law
Dept. of Ed. Office of Civil Rights Updates Case Processing Manual, Signaling Aggressive Posture Moving Forward Posted on: September 28, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released its revised Case Processing Manual (CPM). The OCR often enforces civil rights laws and handles investigations of our nation’s schools. The CPM identifies the policies and procedures that the OCR relies on when investigating and resolving complaints. The revised CPM makes several notable changes and suggests that the OCR will take a more aggressive stance moving forward on complaints it receives.
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Tags:
office for civil rights, department of education, case processing manual, title ix, ada, workplace investigations
Three Key Employment Law Considerations for Film Studios and Production Companies Posted on: September 27, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
Employment law compliance continues to be an active risk mitigation area for film production companies and producers on film projects. This post covers three important considerations to help limit exposure before the cameras start rolling.
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Tags:
entertainment industry, independent contractors, payroll, discrimination, human resources, employment law, california
Pennsylvania Federal Court Dismisses Religious Discrimination Class Action Challenge to Healthcare Employer’s Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine, Testing Requirements Posted on: September 22, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
On August 26, 2022, a putative class action brought on behalf of over 100 employees of a healthcare clinic, challenging the clinic’s policy requiring that its employees either receive COVID-19 vaccines or be tested twice weekly for the virus, was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The court rejected the claim that the employer’s COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements constituted religious discrimination.
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Tags:
pennsylvania, covid-19, discrimination, class action, vaccinations
California Set to Expand Employee Access to Salary Information Through Amendment to Pay Data Reporting Law Posted on: September 19, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
On August 30, 2022, the California legislature sent Senate Bill 1162 (SB 1162) to the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom. If signed into law, SB 1162 will impose two general obligations upon California employers: (1) to include a job position’s pay scale or salary range in any corresponding job posting or advertisement, and (2) to publish annual pay data reports.
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Tags:
california, wage and hour, payroll, human resources, employment law
California Employers: Four Things to Consider When Providing an Employee with an Arbitration Agreement for Review and Signature Posted on: September 13, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
Despite a California employer having an arbitration agreement that satisfies all the requisite factors set forth by the state’s Supreme Court in Armendariz v. Foundation Health Psychcare Services, Inc., often times an employee will attempt to challenge the method in which the arbitration agreement was presented to them in order to invalidate the agreement and ensure the case remains in court. Here are some tips for California employers to consider when presenting an employee with an arbitration agreement.
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Tags:
california, arbitration, employment agreements, employment law, human resources
Four Tips for Accommodating Mental Health Diagnoses in the Workplace Posted on: September 08, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
Mental health has traditionally been stigmatized more than physical ailments or disabilities. However, in large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the stigma surrounding mental health is lessening and discussions around mental health in the workplace have become more commonplace. As such, employers are seeing an increase in mental health diagnosis disclosures and accommodation requests. Here, we share four tips for employers to keep in mind when an employee discloses a mental health diagnosis.
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Tags:
mental health, ada, disability, reasonable accommodation, human resources
Five Tips for Using Independent Contractors in California Posted on: September 07, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
In Dynamex Operations v. Superior Court of Los Angeles, the California Supreme Court adopted the ABC Test for determining whether certain workers should be classified as independent contractors. It's an employee-friendly test that presumes a worker is an “employee” by shifting the burden of proof onto the employer. While it does pose a bigger hurdle for companies that want to use independent contractors, it is not insurmountable. Here are some key tips for using correctly classified independent contractors.
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Tags:
california, independent contractors, abc test, employment law, human resources

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