Author: Matthew J. Roberts, Esq.

Time Off Request for Religious Reasons: Case-by-Case Decision Is Best
983
Posted in Discrimination

Time Off Request for Religious Reasons: Case-by-Case Decision Is Best

An employee approached me asking for time off due to “religious reasons.” We aren’t sure whether the employee has a religious reason for the time…

NLRB Rescinds Most Recent Joint Employer Rule
2087
Posted in Labor Relations

NLRB Rescinds Most Recent Joint Employer Rule

In 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) published a final rule updating its joint employer test to be more expansive for applying the National…

New Regulations Proposed for Enforcing PAGA Reform
2145
Posted in Wage and Hour

New Regulations Proposed for Enforcing PAGA Reform

Enacted in 2024, legislation reforming the Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA) brought sweeping changes designed to better serve the goals of California wage-and-hour…

3281
Posted in General

Supreme Court Clarifies Rules Around Illegible Arbitration Agreements

While California employers have the right to require employees to sign arbitration agreements for any employment disputes that may arise, the rules around valid arbitration…

EEOC Addresses National Origin Discrimination Against American Workers
2836
Posted in Discrimination

EEOC Addresses National Origin Discrimination Against American Workers

Employers who utilize workers on visa programs, such as the H1-B visa program, have seen recent developments that have made the use of the program…

Religious Beliefs and Job Requirements Must Conflict for Religious Discrimination Claims
4360
Posted in Discrimination

Religious Beliefs and Job Requirements Must Conflict for Religious Discrimination Claims

Not only does Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protect employees from discrimination based upon their religious beliefs, but it also obligates employers to…

District Court Enjoins SB 399 Enforcement Limiting Employer Speech
3942
Posted in Discipline Workplace Policies

District Court Enjoins SB 399 Enforcement Limiting Employer Speech

On September 30, 2025, the U.S. District Court preliminarily enjoined enforcement of SB 399, which prohibited employers from taking — or threatening to take — adverse…

Ninth Circuit Validates Employers’ Piece-Rate Compensation Plan
7137
Posted in Compensation

Ninth Circuit Validates Employers’ Piece-Rate Compensation Plan

California law imposes special conditions on employers who choose to compensate employees on a “piece-rate” or per task basis. For example, these employees must receive…

How to Respond to Federal Request for Documents Related to Form I-9s
4459
Posted in Form I-9

How to Respond to Federal Request for Documents Related to Form I-9s

We received a Notice of Inspection from the federal government requesting documents related to our Form I-9s and other business documents. How do we respond…

Some California Health Care Worker Minimum Wage Rates Increase July 1
10001
Posted in Minimum Wage

Some California Health Care Worker Minimum Wage Rates Increase July 1

On October 16, 2024, California’s health care worker minimum wage took effect with different rate schedules for different types of covered health care facilities. And…