I want to start with my client’s story from this weekend, because it’s the impetus for revisiting this topic. They hired a manager and had paused her onboarding to check her references. Unfortunately, when they checked, they could not verify any of the work experience she had cited. Indeed, not only could they not verify…
Category: Hiring
Hire With Care
I have had a spate of client cases and situations involving relatively new employees causing drama. In many of those circumstances, looking back, those employees should never have been hired. They were wrong for the job, had insufficient experience, were dishonest in the interview process, or all the above. Had the employer paid attention to…
Workplace Know Your Rights Act Effective February 1, 2026 (SB 294)
There have been a few bills and new laws recently with this similar title, but this new law was purportedly in direct response to the recent uptick in ICE raids. And yet, California just has to be California, so there are some other topics tucked into this bill as well. The new law requires that…
Amazon Ruling Reminder to Pay for All Time Onboarding
On September 23, 2025, a California federal judge certified a class of Amazon workers alleging that they were not paid for time spent at new hire events. The judge also granted Amazon partial summary judgment on certain of the wage claims for unpaid time spent with I-9 forms, drug testing, and going through the background…
Definition of “Uniform” Tested with Starbucks’ New Lawsuit
Last week, Starbucks employees from California, Colorado, and Illinois launched legal actions claiming their employer refused to reimburse them for required shoes and clothing under the Starbucks newly published dress code. Workers complain that despite being paid only minimum wage, the coffee giant is requiring them to use their personal money to purchase…
Drop the Concept of “Probationary Period”
The concept of a “probationary period” at the start of employment derives from the Union context, where new employees are given a certain period before they are covered under the Company’s cba (collective bargaining agreement). There, it makes sense. After that probationary period, the Company must start making contributions under the cba, and at the…
Double-Down on Onboarding and Get Those Arbitration Agreements Signed
By now, you should all be aware of the new PAGA Reform, as I have been harping on it since the law passed back in June. The PAGA Reform will be most useful to compliant employers, who can reduce their potential PAGA penalties by 85% if they implement the compliance measures listed in the statute….