Holidays and Mental Health – The holiday season is officially upon us, but it isn’t all joy and cheer.  The most wonderful time of the year also brings stress for many, and feelings of isolation and depression for others.   We are already experiencing a spike in mental health issues, here and around the world.  The…

New California Ban on “Captive Meetings” Named the “California Freedom from Employer Intimidation Act,” SB 399 prohibits employers from mandating employee attendance at any company sponsored meeting regarding “religious or political matters.” You may be curious about the need for such legislation.  After all, how many employers force their employees to attend meetings to discuss…

Changes to the Protected Categories under California’s Anti-Discrimination Laws As many of you know, California has one of the most robust lists of “ protected categories” or characteristics enumerated in its anti-discrimination laws.  Most of these anti-discrimination prohibitions are contained within California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), but there are also some articulated in…

I know I have discussed the issue of employee theft before, but it is clearly making a comeback. Theft By Employees – Most of the time, when I see issues of internal theft reported by my clients, it is not petty theft, and it is not theft by rank-and-file employees.  The situations that come to…

I know I have touched on this issue before, but it impacts so many industries, it bears repeating.  And I am going to start with a story. Several years ago, I was sitting at one of my favorite bars in Hollywood and chatting to the bartenders, all of whom I knew.  They were changing shifts,…

While Simon Biles and Kate Ledecky have been breaking records, our state Supreme Court has been busy.  In the case of Twanda Bailey v San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, on July 29, California’s highest court held that one racial slur by a co-worker can constitute unlawful harassment under California’s Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA). …

Before you all jump on me about hating California law, this one does not come from California.  In fact, this rule comes from our friends at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), despite California law. As many of you know, California is a dual-consent state, which means that the general rule regarding recording of conversations…

Well, my restaurant friends, you have the California Restaurant Association and the grass roots effort from the folks at IHC to thank for this one.  They brought pressure on Senator Dobbs and the Democrats to amend the junk fee ban, to the chagrin of many patrons, and carve out a last-minute exception to this law. …

It looks like it’s been a minute since I have reviewed these rules for you all.  But no matter how much we talk about them, meal and rest break claims are still at the heart of nearly every wage and hour lawsuit we see – whether it’s a class action, a PAGA suit, or an…

I wrote a lot last year about the spikes we saw with mental health issues and the related instances of substance abuse, and there was a fair amount published about the increases in both for 2023.  But we are seeing that trend continue into 2024, and I am seeing it especially in calls from you…