Not Too Social in the Workplace

California law actually prevents employers from requiring access to an employee’s social media as a condition of employment.  California Labor Code section 980 very specifically limits an employer’s access – except where (1) access is required for an employer-issued device, or (2) an employer reasonably believes the employee’s social media to be relevant to an investigation of allegations of employee … Read More

Nursing Home Rights at Admission

If you or a loved one is entering a skilled nursing facility (“SNF”) in California for any length of time, you may be asked to sign an arbitration agreement with the SNF. Typically, such agreements are presented at the time of admission or just prior. Arbitration agreements typically are those that waive a SNF resident’s rights under the law—like the … Read More

Independent Contractors Get an Uber Lyft

In mid-March, two federal court judges in Northern California determined that juries will decide the question of whether the drivers for the ride services Uber and Lyft have been misclassified by those services as independent contractors. Employee plaintiffs in each case are alleging that they—and a class of similarly situated drivers—should be classified as employees. The two cases are Cotter v. … Read More

CA Requires Training to Prevent Abusive Conduct

California’s law that requires employers to provide annual sexual harassment training to all supervisors was amended to include prevention of abusive conduct. The new law defines abusive conduct as “conduct of an employer or employee in the workplace, with malice, that a reasonable person would find hostile, offensive, and unrelated to an employer’s legitimate business interests. Abusive conduct may include … Read More