Under California Meal Break Law, nonexempt workers (those entitled to overtime under the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) are entitled to a 30 minutes uninterrupted meal break for every 5+ hours worked in a workday. The law is better than federal labor law. If an employer violates the California Meal Break Law, they must pay an extra hour (of regular pay) for every day a meal break violation occurs. However, the extra hour isn’t considered as hours worked in overtime calculations.  Employees are also accorded to a second meal break of 30 minutes or more if they work for over […]

There is no single or distinct answer to the above question given there are different types of background checks. Furthermore, the same kind of background check can take different times to complete because of various factors ranging from the type of information being sought after to technicalities, such as wrong names and legal requirements. In general, checks on an individual’s criminal record can take a few hours to several days. The time varies depending on the legal procedures as well as the number of results. A typical background check on a person’s employment and educational history can take several days […]

Although many California employers are subject both to Title VII and the Fair Employment and Housing Act, complaints alleging discrimination usually are examined separately under each law. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing is charged with responsibility to receive, investigate, and conciliate complaints alleging discrimination either on a basis enumerated in the Fair Housing and Employment Act. Additionally, the department is charged with the responsibility to facilitate its power to investigate complaints.  The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing has the following authority:  To issue subpoenas to obtain the testimony of witnesses and the production of books, […]

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is a federal agency composed of five members, each of whom is appointed for a five-year term by the President. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is required to monitor compliance with and enforce Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act, two of the principal federal civil rights laws. To administer its responsibilities, persons alleging that an employer, an employment agency, or a labor organization has engaged in an unlawful employment practice file with the office. Form and Service of Charges:  In most cases, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is extremely open-minded in accepting charges. […]

Almost all California employers with 15 or more employees are covered by the major Federal employment protections for workers. These protections include Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.  Employers with 20 or more employees must also follow the requirements of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The main purpose of these laws is to create rules against specified types of discrimination. It should also be noted that several other laws (in addition to the above four) provide further protection of civil rights in employment. In most cases, the application of these […]

Tenant rights: defined What are tenant’s general rights in California? By renting the unit from the landlord, the tenant receives the right to the exclusive use and possession of the rental property during the rental period. The contact information of the landlord must be written into the rental agreement (otherwise known as a “lease”), or, at the very least, must be posted conspicuously in the rental property and/or unit. What is a landlord? A “landlord” is an individual or an entity which owns the rental property. The landlord leases the property to an individual, otherwise known as the “tenant.” The […]

What are late fees? Late fees and similar liquidated damages provisions “serve an important function. They remove the uncertainty factor from determining damages from a breach of contract and reduce litigation.” UCAN v. AT&T Broadband of Southern Cal., 135 Cal. App. 4th 1023, 1038 (2006) (affirming the grant of summary judgment to defendant because liquidated damage clause in pre-printed contract was valid). Indeed, the California Legislature has specifically authorized late fees in lease agreements when (1) it would be “impracticable or extremely difficult” to determine actual damages; and (2) the parties agree upon the amount of the late fee. Civil […]

Unemployment Insurance is a program which offers a partial wage substitute to workers who are now jobless due to no mistake of their own, while they are attempting to seek new employment. Unemployment Insurance is handled by each state but mandated by the federal law. In California, the UI program is administered by the Employment Development Department (EDD). The department itself renders decisions regarding applicant eligibility, amends rules, gathers employer taxes and issues benefit checks. The decision made by the EDD may be further reviewed by a separate state entity known as the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (CUIAB). Notably, […]

California law protects employees who use their own money or equipment at work.  The Legislature’s intent is that employees should not bear losses or expenses incurred in the service of their employers.  There are a number of laws and regulations that require employers to reimburse expenses that employee incur or to pay for employees use of their own property. Labor Code Section 2802 Requires Employers To Indemnify Employees Labor Code section 2802 requires an employer to “indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or […]

According to California Labor Code for Rest Breaks, Non-exempt employees are authorized and permitted to take a 10-minute paid rest break for every four hours worked or major fraction thereof. The Company authorizes and permits rest breaks according to the following schedule: A non-exempt employee who does not work more than 3.5 hours in a workday is not authorized and permitted to take a rest break.   A non-exempt employee who works more than 3.5 hours in a workday but who does not work more than 6 hours in a workday is authorized and permitted to take one 10-minute rest […]