Articles

On October 6, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the Fair Pay Act (the Act), an equality wage bill introduced by state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara). In signing the bill, which goes into effect January 1, 2016 for employers with California-based employees, Governor Brown called the act “another step toward closing the persistent wage gap between men and women.” Gender-based pay discrimination was already prohibited under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and …

The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 went into effect on January 1, 2015, but employees’ right to accrue and take sick leave does not take effect until July 1, 2015. Are you ready? Starting July 1, 2015, qualifying employees will be entitled to at least 24 hours of paid sick leave in a 12-month period. I. Who Qualifies for Paid Sick Leave? Employees who work at least 30 days in California within a …

The importance of the written agreement between the professional and his or her client cannot be overstated. A written agreement will define the duties and responsibilities of the parties, allocate risk and reward for a particular project or engagement, and govern how disputes are resolved. In some cases, written agreements are required by insurance companies or by law. Despite this, written agreements and their critical terms are often afterthoughts for professionals, who are typically and …

Last week, the California Supreme Court issued its much anticipated decision in Beacon Residential Community Assn. v. Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP. This case has been closely monitored by design professionals and the attorneys who represent them because it addresses a fundamental legal question: do design professionals owe a duty of care to third parties without privity of contract? At first blush, Beacon appears to hold in the affirmative. On closer examination, however, the scope …

With July just around the corner, California employers should be aware of two important changes to the law: Minimum Wage Increase Effective July 1, 2014, the minimum wage in California will increase to $9.00 an hour, up from $8.00 an hour. Minimum wage will again increase effective January 1, 2016 to $10.00 an hour. For employees earning the minimum wage, the increase will also affect overtime and double-time rates. For an employee earning $9.00 an …