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Sprint Store Employees Win $7.6 Million in Off-the-Clock Work Lawsuit

Plaintiffs in a wage and hour class action against Sprint, the cell phone service provider, have proposed a $7.8 million settlement to resolve the suit. The plaintiffs in the suit claim they were forced to work “off-the-clock,” meaning before or after clocking in, and that they weren’t paid for...

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Can My Employer Require Me to Work Overtime?

Often it seems that employees are at the beck and call of their employers, with little control over how and when they work. Short notice of canceled shifts or mandatory overtime can be difficult to accommodate and can wreak havoc on an employee’s family and personal life. While employers...

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How Rideshare Companies Are Taking Advantage of Their “Independent Contractors”

On November 4, 2021—after Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart and Postmates spent over $200 million dollars in potentially misleading advertising—California voters passed Proposition 22, a voter initiative that provided a legal exemption to California’s laws on what constitutes an employer-employee relationship for “app-based rideshare and delivery drivers.” These companies put Prop. 22 on the ballot to expressly escape a California Court of...

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What is California’s Minimum Wage?

Under state and federal law, most workers must be paid a minimum wage for all hours worked. California has enacted one of the country’s highest minimum wages, which will eventually hit $15.50 an hour for the State’s employees. The minimum wage applies to temporary workers as well as workers who are...

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Can Your Employer Require You to Bear the Cost of Working Remotely?

Employers are Required to Reimburse Necessary Business Expenses In California, Labor Code § 2802 requires employers to reimburse employees for all “necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties.” This rule exists because the State legislature recognized that, if...

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The #1 Way Employers Cheat Employees of Overtime

It’s a common misconception among employees that you don’t get overtime pay if you’re paid a salary. Fortunately, this is not always the case.  To be exempt from overtime pay requirements under California law, an employee must be paid a salary of not less the twice the minimum wage and spend at...

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Your Right to Reimbursement for Work Use of Cell Phones & Other Personal Devices

Many employees do not realize that if they are required to use personal devices, including cellphones and laptops, for work-related tasks, they are entitled to be paid or reimbursed for their use of personal devices for the benefit of their employer.   Indeed, if your employer requires that you check...

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Can Your Employer Require Tip Pooling?

Tip pools are common in the services industries, including among restaurant, car wash, spa, salon, casino, and other employees. Although some tip pools are legal, many are not. Watch out for these common pitfalls in employer-mandated tip pools. What is a Tip Pool? A tip pool is a policy...