Employment Law

Understanding whether you are legally an employee or an independent contractor is more than a matter of job title. The distinction affects your rights to wages, benefits and legal protections. It also influences how you are taxed and what responsibilities your...

Employers sometimes make classification errors when hiring their workers. For several decades, it has become common practice for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors but treat them like employees. This arrangement allows the company to avoid...

Workers in California have rights that workers in other states don’t have. One of these is that many workers in this state are required to have meal breaks. These are 30-minute breaks that give the employee time to get something to eat or just rest.  During this meal...

Quiet firing represents a concerning workplace trend where employers deliberately create unfavorable conditions to push employees toward resignation. This passive-aggressive management approach involves withholding promotions, limiting growth opportunities and...

When employees do not have contracts, the end of the working relationship can be a bit complex. Technically, an at-will employee can quit at any time they want. They do not have to give two weeks’ notice. This can leave business owners in a difficult position when...

California offers more protections from employment discrimination based on personal characteristics than many other states. In addition to the characteristics protected under federal law like race, gender, religion, nationality, age and disability, California law...

Businesses operating in the construction sector often have unpredictable workloads. The company may have three major project clients at the same time, followed by a week of no new projects. As such, employment costs can be a major financial strain in the construction...

A well-trained human resources (HR) department protects a business. In California, where employment laws are especially strict, HR is not just about hiring and managing employees. It is also about ensuring legal compliance and avoiding costly mistakes. Below are some...

Many employers assume that if they have to pay for overtime hours, it means paying time and a half. And this is often true. If workers exceed 40 hours during the week or even eight hours in a single day, this triggers overtime payments, which should be time and a half...

In most states, overtime is fairly simple. A standard workweek is considered to be 40 hours. If someone works more than 40 hours, then they are eligible for overtime pay for all of the excess. For instance, a person who worked 42 hours would receive their standard...