Minimum wage is the amount employers must pay to employees. While your hourly rate may be more, it cannot be under this wage. However, there are exceptions to the minimum wage law. The California Department of Industrial Relations explains certain categories of...
Legal Issues Blog
Does your employer’s dress code discriminate against you?
If your employer has a dress code in place with which you must comply, can you do anything about it if you disagree with it? Probably not, unless you can prove that the dress code discriminates against you under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or one or more...
When should companies offer severance pay?
Employers may offer severance pay to workers upon termination or involuntary loss of employment. While California does not require companies to provide severance options, business owners should know when it can be beneficial. Honoring dedicated employees with...
What constitutes reasonable accommodation?
The Americans with Disabilities Act, or "ADA", prevents employers from being able to discriminate against you based on your disability when you apply for a job. They must also provide you with reasonable accommodations that allow you to work productively and perform...
What is a severability clause?
As a business owner, you will certainly come across numerous instances in your career where you will need to draft contracts. Whether it is with employees, contractors, business partners or other providers of services, you need to create a strong binding agreement in...
The Equal Pay Act and gender discrimination lawsuits
Employers must provide equal compensation for their employees regardless of their gender. The U.S. Department of Labor notes that the Equal Pay Act of 1963 protects the rights of men and women who perform jobs requiring substantially the same skills. Compensation may...
How do I proceed with an employment discrimination lawsuit?
There are many legal protections in California meant to shelter employees from discrimination at work. According to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, employers cannot discriminate against you based on your religion, race, ethnicity, physical disability,...
Effective strategies for preventing contract disputes
Disputes over contracts are common, but they have the capacity to take considerable time and attention away from running your business. Though every contract dispute may not be preventable, there are certain things you might do as a California business owner to reduce...
Wage theft violations in the California construction industry
Wage theft may happen in a variety of ways and it is important to look out for them as an employee in any industry. Sometimes it involves working while not clocked in. Other times it involves unpaid overtime. As the California Department of Industrial Relations...
Discrimination on account of genetic information is illegal
Workplace discrimination takes many forms. Some people may lose out on job privileges and promotions because an employer made decisions based on a worker’s race, skin color, sexual orientation, or age. However, there are also people who experience denial of equal...