Author: James W. Ward

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Posted in Workplace Safety

California Emergency Wildfire Smoke Regulation Now in Effect

On July 29, 2019, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board’s emergency regulation to protect outdoor workers from the harmful effects of wildfire smoke…

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Posted in Workplace Policies

Need to Reimburse Restaurant Employees for Non-Slip Black Shoes? Court Says No

When must employers reimburse employees’ expenses? It depends, of course, on the circumstances. As previously reported, some employees submit unusual and even hilarious expense reports…

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Posted in Compensation

Ninth Circuit Rejects Nike’s De Minimis Argument for Security Screenings

Even if an off-the-clock task, such as an exit inspection, is less than a minute, the de minimis principle likely does not apply under California…

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Posted in Workplace Policies

California Prohibits Discrimination Based on Hairstyle

On July 3, Governor Gavin Newsom made California the first state to ban racial discrimination based on hairstyle. The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)…

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Posted in Social Media Workplace Policies

Recent NLRB Advice on Employer Policies, Arbitration Agreements

On June 14, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Office of the General Counsel released two advice memoranda addressing common employment policies and arbitration agreements….