California Labor and Employment Law

New 2008 IRS Standard Mileage Reimbursement Rate is 50.5 Cents

Do you drive your car for your employer? If so, you should know that on November 27, 2007, the (more…)

Popularity: 3%

Thou Shalt Not Send Emails from the Office

Does your employer have a policy that employees have no property right in their emails? If they’re like most employers, then the answer is probably yes. Then watch out. In New York, a judge ruled that a hospital’s email policy means a doctor’s emails to his lawyers are not protected by attorney-client privilege. Normally, communications with your attorneys are privileged and can’t be used against you in a lawsuit. But if you send the (more…)

Popularity: 1%

House Passes Bill Banning Discrimination of Lesbians, Gays, Bis (but not Transgenders)

On November 7, 2007, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (“ENDA,” H.R. 3685), a federal bill which bans employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The vote was decisive at 235-184. The bill is backed by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, NAACP, ACLU, (more…)

Popularity: 1%

DLSE: Retaliated Employees Need Not File with State Labor Commissioner

There has been some confusion among federal and state courts in California as to whether an employee who has been the victim of whistleblower retaliation by their employer (under Cal. Labor Code s. 1102.5) must first file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner (under Cal. Labor Code s. 98.7) before they can proceed with filing a lawsuit in court. This is important because it potentially creates yet another hurdle for an (more…)

Popularity: 4%