Wage and Hour Red Flags
November 30, 2015
Many California employers are hit with costly wage and hour claims and lawsuits by their employees, as well as the Labor Commissioner's own enforcement agency. Some of these claims are legitimate, some are not, but employers must defend against all such claims, often incurring hefty attorneys' fees in the process.
Child Support Calculations Under Various State Laws Reveal Widely Varying Amounts
November 30, 2015
This article outlines essential elements for the calculation of child support under the statutory schemes in New York, Florida, Pennsylvania and Washington. Each section includes a calculation of child support for one child assuming the residential or custodial parent earns an income of $50,000 and the non-residential parent earns $100,000.
How Much Investigation Is Enough?
November 30, 2015
Employers have frequently questioned the adequacy of the EEOC's pre-suit investigations. To their consternation, in September 2015, the Second Circuit held that courts do not have authority to review the extent or sufficiency of the EEOC's investigation of charges.
Employee-Related Litigation
November 30, 2015
Business bankruptcy filings are down significantly from their high point during the Great Recession. What appears to have replaced foreclosures and institutional debt issues as the straw that breaks the camel's back is litigation. In many cases seen locally (in the Central District of California), the nature of litigation that pushes a company over the line comes in the form of employee-related causes of action.
For-Profit Colleges
November 02, 2015
The author opines that If Chapter 11 were available to post-secondary schools, rehabilitation for those schools whose problems are balance-sheet issues but not academic or management, would be possible. The result, among others, would be to preserve the institution, the value of credits earned by students and the value of degrees confirmed to alumni.
Addressing the Dissipation of Marital Assets in a Divorce Case
November 02, 2015
At what point does one spouse's gifts to family and friends, or their bad investments and/or extravagant spending, become considered dissipation in the eyes of an adversary looking to review a case or the judiciary, and what remedies are available to a spouse where a dissipation has been found to have occurred?
Changes in CA Law Drastically Affecting Business Owners
November 02, 2015
California is cracking down on companies that skirt labor and tax laws by misclassifying workers as independent contractors, and the state has instituted a major change by providing mandatory paid sick leave to nearly all employees in the state. Businesses must be aware of these changes and review their policies and contractual relationships to ensure compliance.
Same Evidence Used to Reject Bias Claim, Support Retaliation Claim
November 02, 2015
The (over)use of the summary judgment process in employment discrimination cases has been heartily scrutinized over the years. As this author has pointed out, there is at least one prominent federal judge who thinks the use of summary judgment, as a practice, should be eliminated in these types of cases.
Who Are 'Employees' and How Should We Treat Them?
November 02, 2015
The 2014-15 New Jersey Supreme Court term brought major decisions on diverse employment law issues 'employer liability for sexual harassment, how to determine whether a worker is an "employee" for purposes of wage and hour laws, the extent of protection afforded watchdog employees under the 'Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), and the negotiability of furlough decisions by municipal employers.
