Podcast: California Employment News - The Basics of Pay Exemptions
California Employment News: The Basics of Pay Exemptions
Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Episode 67: Armin Lange, Grundwerk Legal | Germany
The Labor Law Insider: Union Activity, Employment Engagement, and Changes in the Manufacturing Industry
Podcast: California Employment News - Public Healthcare Workers Now Get Meal and Rest Breaks
California Employment News: Public Healthcare Workers Now Get Meal and Rest Breaks
California Employment News: PAGA - The Four-Letter Word of Employment Law
[WEBINAR] 2019 Annual Labor & Employment Update
2019 Cannabis & Co: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in the Post Prop. 64 Era (Part 3)
FCPA Compliance and Ethics Report-Episode 167-Mara Senn on the Top 10 Practices in a Cross-Border Investigation
In a case of statutory interpretation, the California Court of Appeal in Hirdman v. Charter Communications, LLC recently affirmed a win for the employer, holding that outside sales employees can be paid as “exempt employees”...more
In Hirdman v. Charter Communication (8/4/25) 113 Cal.App.5th 376, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals was faced with the sole issue of determining the meaning of the phrase “exempt employees” as used in California Labor Code...more
For the third consecutive legislative session, Massachusetts state representative Tram T. Nguyen (D-Essex) has proposed a bill (H.1916) to establish a private right of action by employees on behalf of themselves, their fellow...more
California’s Department of Finance recently announced the minimum wage increase for 2026. The minimum wage in California will increase from $16.50 per hour to $16.90 perhour on January 1, 2026. This increase applies to all...more
Last week, in Iloff v. LaPaille, the California Supreme Court made clear the burden on employers when asserting a good faith defense to avoid paying liquidated damages for violations of minimum wage laws. In its long-awaited...more
In Iloff v. LaPaille, the California Supreme Court addressed when “liquidated” or double damages may be avoided by an employer for minimum wage violations and how employees can pursue paid leave claims under California’s...more
On July 30, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 648 into law, amending the Labor Code to strengthen protections for employee gratuities. Under the new law, if customer pays a gratuity by credit card, then the business...more
Case Background - A sanitation employee at Golden State Foods Corporation, signed an arbitration agreement governed by the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) at the start of his employment. In 2020, after reporting alleged...more
A recent California Court of Appeal decision provides clarity for employers with commissioned outside sales employees. In Hirdman v. Charter Communications, the court confirmed that employers may calculate paid sick leave for...more
Tips are a trending topic in the news. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, signed into law on July 4, 2025, created a new federal income deduction for tip earnings which raised awareness around tips. Now, California has passed...more
California Governor Newsom recently signed Senate Bill (SB) 648, which authorizes the state’s Labor Commissioner to investigate and issue a citation or file a civil action for gratuities taken or withheld in violation of the...more
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office, the agency that enforces a wide range of the state’s labor laws, has awarded $8.55 million in grants to 16 local prosecutors to step up enforcement of labor laws. This funding, part...more
Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court provided helpful guidance on whistleblower retaliation cases. The Court of Appeal addressed who is a prevailing party entitled to fee and cost recovery...more
Every day, the press reports on arrests for one reason or another in California and other states. Many of those arrested have jobs. In turn, the employers of the arrestees in California are confronted with a dilemma: on the...more
Retaliation Verdict Reversed Where Plaintiff Obtained No Relief - Can an employee prove retaliation at trial yet still recover nothing – not even attorney’s fees? According to a recent decision from the California Court of...more
The California Court of Appeal issued an important decision clarifying that an employee cannot recover damages for a defamation claim that is derivative of a wrongful termination claim. Defamation causes of action are often...more
The Second District Court of Appeal held that, under the pre-reform PAGA statute, an individual employee need not have been employed or experienced a Labor Code violation during the one-year PAGA limitations period to have...more
In a significant win for employers, the California Court of Appeal recently affirmed that prospective, revocable meal period waivers for shifts between five and six hours are lawful under both the Labor Code and applicable...more
In a surprisingly employer-friendly decision, the California Court of Appeal recently held that voluntary, prospective written meal waivers for shorter shifts, i.e., those that are more than five but no more than six hours in...more
A California Court of Appeal recently held that an employee bringing a claim under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) must be able to allege that he personally suffered a Labor Code violation within the applicable...more
On April 21, 2025, a California Court of Appeal affirmed the validity of prospective, written meal period waivers, so long as they are revocable and not coerced. The case, La Kimba Bradsbery et al. v. Vicar Operating,...more
In a decision with important implications for many pending Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuits, a California Court of Appeal upheld the dismissal of a representative PAGA action as untimely because the plaintiff did...more
What is a “blanket” or “prospective” meal period waiver? California employers can offer non-exempt employees the opportunity to (1) waive their first meal period if their work period does not exceed six hours or (2) waive...more
PAGA claims brought under pre-reform PAGA must be brought within one year of a Labor Code violation experienced by the plaintiff and because a PAGA claim necessarily has both an individual and a non-individual component,...more
The California Labor Code generally requires that employers provide meal periods to non-exempt employees working more than five hours. However, the Labor Code provides that meal periods can be waived by agreement of the...more