SCOTUS EMPLOYMENT LAW DECISIONS 2019-2020

by Jennifer Brown Shaw and D. Gregory Valenza | Jun 30, 2020

The United States Supreme Court issued several decisions during the October 2019 Term, which may affect California employers.  We review those decisions below. Babb v. Wilkie The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 prohibits employment discrimination against...

WHEN EMPLOYEES RETURN, OR NOT

by Jennifer Brown Shaw and D. Gregory Valenza | Jun 3, 2020

Governments’ efforts to address the novel coronavirus pandemic include measures that closed or curtailed many businesses’ operations. As governments relax these restrictions, businesses must hire, rehire, or recall employees who were laid off or paid to be on call....

CALIFORNIA’S SUPPLEMENTAL COVID-19 SICK LEAVE

by Jennifer Brown Shaw and D. Gregory Valenza | May 4, 2020

Federal, state, and local governments have responded to hardships the Coronavirus pandemic has wrought on businesses and their workers.  Employment-related measures include new and expanded paid leave programs, in part designed to mitigate disruptions caused by school...

COVID-19 AND THE WARN ACTS

by Jennifer Brown Shaw & D. Gregory Valenza | Apr 6, 2020

Many California employers have temporarily curtailed or even closed operations as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.  Even temporary layoffs may require employers to distribute notices under federal or California laws known as “WARN Acts.”  The Worker Adjustment and...

EMPLOYER CONTROL AND HOURS WORKED

by Jennifer Brown Shaw and D. Gregory Valenza | Mar 2, 2020

Employers must compensate employees for the time they spend waiting for management to inspect personal property before they leave work. That is the California Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in Frlekin v. Apple Inc., which is based on California’s longstanding...

DRESS CODES AND GROOMING STANDARDS

by Jennifer Brown Shaw and D. Gregory Valenza | Feb 4, 2020

Employers may have legitimate reasons to impose a dress code, set minimum grooming standards, or even mandate uniforms. These interests range from safety to branding, or customer satisfaction. California recently passed a law that affects employers’ discretion to set...
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