Wage/hour violations, like lunch break payments, can seem like small potatoes. But multiply them by 250 workdays a year and 1,000 employees, and add penalties—and you’ve suddenly got a big-ticket fine. Common Violation #1: Meal Breaks Bona fide meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more)...

Yesterday , we explained some of the facts of the Brinker case and why the decision is such good news for employers. The bottom line is that employers in California appear to have dodged a food fight of gargantuan proportions! The California Supreme Court’s conclusion that employers must merely...

The extremely long wait is over: We finally have a decision from the California Supreme Court in the case of Brinker Restaurant Group v. Superior Court of San Diego – and some much-needed guidance on the state’s meal and rest break rules. The employers in the case, Brinker Restaurant Corporation...

The California Supreme Court has just released its long-awaited decision in the Brinker case, ruling that employers must relieve employees of all duty during meal periods - but need not ensure that no work is done during that time. For more on the case, check out the California Courts press release on...

The California Supreme Court is expected to release its long-awaited decision in Brinker Restaurant Group v. Superior Court of San Diego on April 12 or 13. Finally: Firm guidance on how to properly handle your meal and rest breaks in California! CEA Online subscribers can join us for a free subscribers...

Think you're in compliance with California break laws? Did you know that more than two-thirds of those recently surveyed who were entitled to a meal break reported they didn't receive the full, uninterrupted, work-free break required by law? In an ERI webinar titled "Meal & Rest Breaks...

Maybe you've heard the old saw about the perfect business being one with no managers, no supervisors, and no employees. Unfortunately, your business isn't perfect — if it is, we'd love to hear about it! — and you have to deal with managers and supervisors who are probably making...

The Golden State. The beaches...the redwoods...the mountains...the %&%&! state-specific employment laws that make your life as an HR professional complicated and stressful. As you well know, wage/hour laws are one of the particular areas in which California law is far more protective of employees...

Pass any courthouse and those thuds you hear are companies landing in front of juries because of HR errors by their managers. Here's a list of some of the most common miscues. "Loose lips sink ships." That was a popular World War II slogan. It was used to caution war workers against carelessly...

In a time of economic uncertainty, employers are looking for innovative ways to balance the needs of their workforce with the realities of the post-Healthcare Reform era. Kristen Allison, president of Burnham Benefits Insurance Services, a leading employee benefits consulting and brokerage firm based...

Yesterday , we looked at the large margin by which employees underestimate the amount it costs you to provide them with various benefits. Today, we'll look at the one benefit employees refuse to give up — at nearly any cost. I'd rather cut my pay than ... While employees may underestimate...

Wage/hour seems pretty basic (pay workers for time worked), but the people who find it easy tend to be the people who pay out million-dollar suits. In yesterday's CED , we featured three million-dollar wage and hour lawsuits. Today, two more suits and an introduction to a unique source of wage/hour...

Many employers are now making the unhappy discovery that their finance and operations people made aggressive exempt-status and other wage and hour-related determinations that are coming back to haunt their organizations in the form of big wage and hour lawsuits and payouts. Attorney Kurt A. Franklin...

Penalties for noncompliance with California wage and hour laws can add up surprisingly fast, says attorney Christopher C. Hoffman. And it's surprisingly easy to run afoul of California's many tricky requirements. (See yesterday's CED to read Hoffman's tips on rest periods and meal breaks...

"California has more practicing attorneys than any country in Europe, says attorney Christopher C. Hoffman, "and 6082 more people passed the California bar exam last year." Couple that with a "legislature that actively seeks to make things more difficult for employers," and you've...

In y esterday’s CED , we featured lawsuit avoidance tips from William J. Anthony, Esq. Today, we’ll cover more of his wage and hour tips, and we’ll take a look at a unique one-stop wage/hour solution for California employers. Anthony made his remarks at a recent seminar sponsored by...

The California Supreme Court is currently considering the scope of employer meal break obligations under state law. The question before the court is whether employers must only “provide” a meal break, or “ensure” that employees take meal breaks. There’s no indication of...

You’re probably among the millions of California employers eagerly awaiting a definitive ruling from the state Supreme Court about meal and rest breaks. Specifically, the court will decide whether employers need to ensure that employees take their meal breaks, or simply provide employees the opportunity...

Retail giant Wal-Mart has agreed to pay up to $54.25 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the retailer of violating hours of work and break laws at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in Minnesota. This settlement follows a judge’s decision last summer finding that Wal-Mart violated a host of...

In the January issue of California Employer Advisor , we reported on Brinkley v. Public Storage, Inc. , which held that employers are required merely to provide employees with meal and rest periods, not ensure that employees actually take them (CEA online subscribers can read more on the case here )...