Understanding the intricacies of wage laws is critical for anyone working in a service industry where tips are part of the compensation structure. In California, specific laws govern tip pooling or sharing, which is the practice of pooling and dividing tips among...
Wage And Hour Claims
How can workers prove that they’ve experienced wage theft?
Wage theft is a serious economic concern for hourly workers in particular. Employees who need every cent that they earn to support their families are often those most at risk of not receiving their pay in full. The impact of wage theft can add up to major losses for...
Employees versus independent contractors in California
In California, the distinction between independent contractors and employees carries significant legal implications. How a worker is classified can impact tax obligations, legal rights and benefits. Understanding this distinction is vital for businesses to prevent...
We’re being overworked without overtime pay. What should we do?
As an employee, you are entitled to fair pay for your work. So, what happens when your employer overworks you and doesn’t pay your overtime? It’s a frustrating and often confusing situation, and thankfully, you and your co-workers don’t have to suffer in silence....
Can your boss tell you not to discuss wages?
When you get hired on a new job, your boss tells you that the company has a policy where you don’t discuss wages. He or she asks you not to talk about how much you’re being paid with the other employees. They say it nicely and smile, but you can tell that they’re very...
Daily wages sometimes hide unfair overtime practices
There are numerous ways that businesses try to minimize what they pay for staffing. Oftentimes, they cap the wages they will offer for certain positions and even go so far as to limit how many people will be scheduled for specific shifts. Occasionally, companies go...
Uber lawsuit in California could make wage enforcement harder
California’s Depart of Industrial Relations, which includes the Labor Commissioner’s office, is suffering from a major staffing problem, and the backlog of wage claims has climbed into the tens of thousands. Even though there’s a proposed budget that would allow the...
How time-shaving reduces weekly paychecks
As an hourly worker, you should receive pay based on when you are present and performing work for your employer. Federal law entitles you to full compensation for the time that you work, as well as overtime wages in certain situations. Employers often resent how much...
California employees gain more rights to sick, bereavement leave
Employment laws in the U.S. around family and medical leave – let alone paid leave – are far behind those of many industrialized countries. Here in California, our state laws are more employee-friendly than those in most other states. A couple of changes effective at...
Is “quiet hiring” a new way for employers to cheat employees?
The events of the last few years have wrought sea changes in the way that people live – and work. With many people taking a hard, long look at the way their work-life balance had become distinctly unbalanced over time, “quiet quitting” became a trend. Quiet quitting,...