Even “Wrong” Complaints Can Create Liability

by Jennifer Shaw | | April 6, 2026

California employers often focus on whether an employee’s complaint has legal merit. That instinct makes sense. If the complaint is wrong, exaggerated, or based on a misunderstanding of the law, it is easy to assume the risk is low. That assumption is where employers...

Bereavement Leave in California: Where Compassion Meets Compliance

by Jennifer Shaw | | March 30, 2026

Bereavement leave feels like one of those areas where employers should be able to rely on instinct. An employee loses someone close to them, and the response seems obvious: be supportive, give them time, and move forward. But in California, that approach, while...

Wrong About the Law…Still Protected?

by Jennifer Shaw | | March 23, 2026

California employers often assume that if an employee’s complaint is legally incorrect, it falls outside the scope of protected activity. That assumption is not only flawed—it is increasingly risky. A recent decision from the California Court of Appeal, Contreras v....

Don’t Forget the March 30 Emergency Contact Deadline

by Jennifer Shaw | | March 16, 2026

Most employers already collect emergency contact information during onboarding. It is one of those routine HR forms that gets completed on day one and then quietly sits in a personnel file. Until now. A new California requirement means that emergency contact forms are...

Understanding Military Leave Protections

by Jennifer Shaw | | March 10, 2026

Military leave protections are among the strongest employee protections in employment law. Yet many employers still misunderstand how the rules work—especially when federal protections under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)...
X