Sexual Harassment: Your Rights in a Hostile Workplace
Sexual Harassment: Your Rights in a Hostile Workplace Perhaps you go to work purely to pay the bills. Maybe your current position is a strategic career move. Whatever your reason for working where you do,…
Don’t Sign Away Your Rights! Severance Agreements and Your Final Paycheck Explained by a California Employment Lawyer
Don’t Sign Away Your Rights! Severance Agreements and Your Final Paycheck Explained by a California Employment Lawyer It’s a Tuesday afternoon and you’re at your desk, working away. Suddenly, your phone rings. It’s your boss,…
Is your employer violating your rights?
Is your employer violating your rights? Businesses make mistakes. Whether intentional or not, employers miscalculate wages or overtime, discriminate, neglect to give employees proper rest and meal breaks, and make a host of other violations.…
Fired After COVID-19? Was it Legal?
Fired After COVID-19? Was it Legal? When you were laid off from your job, your boss was highly apologetic. He reiterated that it was not you: COVID-19 has been wreaking havoc with your industry, and…
New California Minimum Wage Laws Starting July 2020
If you’re an employee, in most cases there’s a minimum amount that your employer must pay you. That amount is called the “minimum wage.” The issue of raising the minimum wage has become a hot…
Having trouble getting a refund for canceled travel due to Coronavirus?
Here are 5 steps to help you get a refund for your travel as well as our Free Travel Refund Letter Templates that you can customize. Were you looking forward to a special vacation each…
Race Discrimination in the Workplace: What You Need to Know as a California Employee
Have you been discriminated against at work? Tips from our California Employment attorneys Most people know that race discrimination in the workplace is illegal. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop it from happening. Even in California, which…
Work-Related Expense Reimbursements: A Guide for California Employees
Working from home? Your employer may owe you for work-related expenses, like cell phones, internet, computer, office supplies and travel costs. Even before COVID-19, remote work policies were rising in popularity — usually as an…
Know Your Rights: A California Employee’s Guide to Sick Pay Laws
Find out what sick pay your California employer is required to give you. * For information on additional sick pay laws regarding COVID-19, please check out our COVID-19 Guide to What California Employees Need to…
COVID-19: What California Employees Need to Know Now
Wondering what new sick pay and emergency FMLA leave laws apply to California employees as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic? Know your sick pay and leave rights with our comprehensive COVID-19 Guide for…
Know Your Rights: A California Employee’s Guide to Overtime Laws
Do you have questions about overtime pay in California? Are you wondering if your employer has paid you overtime correctly? Overtime violations are some of the most common issues we see from employees coming to…
Should I Sign An Arbitration Agreement With My Employer In California?
Arbitration clauses in consumer contracts have become so common that many people don’t think twice when presented with an employment contract that includes a mandatory arbitration clause, or even a separate arbitration agreement. In 2018,…
California Employees: 6 New Laws You Should Know For 2020
2019 was a busy year for the California legislature. By the end of the legislative session, Governor Gavin Newsom signed nearly 900 laws! Many of these new laws affect California workers and were inspired by the #MeToo movement,…
AN EMPLOYEE’S GUIDE TO PREGNANCY DISABILITY LEAVE AND BONDING LEAVE IN CALIFORNIA
Welcoming a new child into your family is usually an exciting time. But it can also be stressful — especially if you’re worried about how it will impact your job. Women often need to take…
WERE YOU WRONGFULLY TERMINATED? KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS AN EMPLOYEE IN CALIFORNIA
Losing your job can be traumatic and stressful. You were depending on your income to pay the bills and take care of your family. Now that your income has disappeared, you may feel lost and…
WHISTLEBLOWER AND RETALIATION LAWS IN CALIFORNIA
Whistleblowers play an important role in society, helping to protect everything from the integrity of our financial system to the safety of our workplaces and the quality of our healthcare. But, wrongdoers have a powerful…
IS YOUR CA EMPLOYER CHEATING YOUR PAY BY MISCLASSIFYING YOU AS AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR?
The rise of the gig economy and acceptance of alternative work arrangements means that companies are hiring independent contractors now more than ever. California is no exception. With nearly 125 percent more independent contractors in the workforce,…
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: A CALIFORNIA EMPLOYEE’S GUIDE TO BREASTFEEDING AND PUMPING AT WORK
If you are expecting a child or have recently given birth and plan to breastfeed, you may be wondering what your rights are regarding pumping at work. The good news is that California is among…
WHAT EVERY CALIFORNIA EMPLOYEE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PAYSTUBS
Many California workers never look at their paystubs unless something seems off. But, your paystub contains important information that may tip you off that you aren’t receiving all the pay you’re entitled to. In fact,…
RETURNING TO WORK FROM MEDICAL LEAVE? KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS AN EMPLOYEE IN CALIFORNIA
Have you been injured, taken medical leave or had medical restrictions upon returning to work? Injured at work and filed a Worker’s Compensation claim? Did you return to work but your boss refused to comply…
ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS OFTEN ASK
According to a CNBC survey 35% of employees have been asked illegal questions during interviews. Questions regarding race, religion, national origin, marital status, health are off-limits, as are many other types of questions both HR and prospective…
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: AN EMPLOYEE’S GUIDE TO GOING TO REHAB
Employees in California are covered by a variety of state and federal laws regarding medical conditions related to drug and alcohol abuse. For safety reasons, employers must actively try to prevent drug and alcohol abuse in the…
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: AN EMPLOYEE’S GUIDE TO PATERNITY LEAVE IN CALIFORNIA
Paternity leave is the time a new father takes time off from his job for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of his new child. Traditionally, when it comes to the subject of leave…
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN CALIFORNIA: A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING YOUR RIGHTS AS AN EMPLOYEE
Most people know the term “sexual harassment.” But would you recognize it if you saw it — or experienced it? In late 2017, the #MeToo movement helped shine a spotlight on sexual harassment. All over…
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: AN EMPLOYEE’S GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING HOW JURY DUTY LEAVE AFFECTS YOUR EMPLOYMENT
By Jennifer Santillan, Whitehead Employment Law Jury Duty: we’ve all been there before or know someone who has. But do you know your rights as to whether you’re entitled to be paid for time spent…