Workforce Bulletin

By David Jacobs and Amy B. Messigian

We would like to call your attention to a significant change to the whistleblower statute in California that went into effect on January 1.  The statute, Cal. Lab. Code section 1102.5, has been substantially expanded beyond its prior form to now protect employees from retaliation for making internal complaints or even potential complaints about suspected violations of federal, state or local law.

California previously protected employees from retaliation for reporting reasonably suspected violations of state or federal laws to a ...

As the new year begins, it is important to remember to update official posters informing employees of the law relating to their rights and responsibilities. Click here for a link to the Labor and Employment Advisory published by Maxine H. Neuhauser and Amy E. Hatcher regarding the new employer posting requirements under New Jersey law.

Our colleague Frank C. Morris, Jr., at Epstein Becker Green wrote the December issue of Take 5, with five key action items for employers in 2014. Following is an excerpt:

It’s December, and human resources professionals and law departments are reflecting on the issues addressed in 2013 and giving thanks for incident-free holiday parties. But the big question is this: What issues should get priority attention for 2014 as part of a proactive approach to workplace issues and limiting potential employment and labor law claims? This month’s Take 5 provides a “Top 5″ list of action ...

Our colleague Frank C. Morris, Jr., at Epstein Becker Green wrote the December issue of Take 5, with five key action items for employers in 2014. Following is an excerpt:

It’s December, and human resources professionals and law departments are reflecting on the issues addressed in 2013 and giving thanks for incident-free holiday parties. But the big question is this: What issues should get priority attention for 2014 as part of a proactive approach to workplace issues and limiting potential employment and labor law claims? This month’s Take 5 provides a “Top 5″ list of action ...

Our colleague Frank C. Morris, Jr., at Epstein Becker Green wrote the December issue of Take 5, with five key action items for employers in 2014. Following is an excerpt:

It’s December, and human resources professionals and law departments are reflecting on the issues addressed in 2013 and giving thanks for incident-free holiday parties. But the big question is this: What issues should get priority attention for 2014 as part of a proactive approach to workplace issues and limiting potential employment and labor law claims? This month’s Take 5 provides a “Top 5″ list of action ...

Our colleague Frank C. Morris, Jr., at Epstein Becker Green wrote the December issue of Take 5, with five key action items for employers in 2014.  Following is an excerpt:

It's December, and human resources professionals and law departments are reflecting on the issues addressed in 2013 and giving thanks for incident-free holiday parties. But the big question is this: What issues should get priority attention for 2014 as part of a proactive approach to workplace issues and limiting potential employment and labor law claims? This month's Take 5 provides a "Top 5" list of action items to ...

By:  Jamie Friedman

This week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), the agency responsible for enforcing federal employment anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, released its Fiscal Year 2013 Performance Accountability Report (the “Report”). According to the Report, in 2013, the EEOC secured a record-breaking $372 million dollars from private employers for workplace discrimination, despite receiving 6,000 fewer charges of discrimination during FY 2013 (with a total of 93,727 charges) as compared to the prior year, and despite resolving ...

From all of us in the national OSHA Practice Group at Epstein Becker & Green to all of you, happy holidays and happy New Year.  We wish you a holiday season filled with joy, and a safe and happy 2014.

Thank you all for continuing to take time out of your busy days to read our articles and posts here on the OSHA Law Update blog.  As we celebrated the 2^nd Anniversary of the OSHA Law Update blog on December 20^th, another great year of bringing you fresh perspectives on important OSHA law topics, we had to stop and thank you for all of your positive feedback, comments, and questions ...

By Nancy L. Gunzenhauser and Ian Carleton Schaefer

How can an employee of a national employer not “work” where her employer works?  How can such an employee not be subject to suit in the corporation’s backyard? 

According to a recent New Jersey state court decision, a technology consultant for a New Jersey corporation who worked in Illinois and provided no services to New Jersey based clients could not be subject to suit in New Jersey. This decision is instructive for technology companies with a significant national workforce (particularly if they leverage remote/agile workers ...

By Jennifer Nutter and Amy Messigian

The beginning of a new year means new laws that will take effect in California.  Some of the laws that are of particular interest to employers in the hospitality industry are below:

-          Minimum Wage Increases: The minimum wage in California is increasing to $9/hour effective July 1, 2014.  Employers should confirm whether currently exempt employees will continue to meet any minimum compensation requirements once the minimum wage increases (e.g., twice the minimum wage will become $720 a week or $37,440 a year).  Additionally, San Jose and San Francisco ...