California employment law is among the most extensive and employee-friendly of any state in the union. Despite the great volume of legal requirements that apply, ignorance of the law is no excuse and failure to comply with the law could lead to disastrous consequences. The following are only a few of the most common legal mistakes committed by California employers:

  • Misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor: An employer’s duty towards an independent contractor is far less burdensome than his duty towards an employee. This also applies to third parties – an independent contractor’s negligence towards a third party is not automatically imputed to the employer, for example. Nevertheless, it is the courts that ultimately decide whether a laborer is an employee or an independent contractor.   

  • A lackadaisical attitude towards sexual harassment complaints: Sexual harassment complaints must be taken very seriously. In California, for companies with at least 50 employees, all supervisors must be compliant with AB1825. Your company must institute an anti-harassment policy along with a detailed mechanism for handling complaints.

  • Failure to regularly and appropriately revise the Employee Handbook: The most common mistakes in this regard are (i) failure to create an Employee Handbook in the first place, (ii) failure to update it at least once a year, and (iii) allowing an unqualified person to handle the drafting or revisions. Failure to create and maintain an Employee Handbook will give your employees (and ex-employees) a lot more leverage should a dispute break out between you.
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  • Insertion of a non-compete clause into an employment agreement (particularly without a severance clause): The temptation to insert a non-compete clause into an employment agreement that applies after separation of the employee from the company can be a great temptation, especially if your company is guarding valuable intellectual property.

    California courts are notoriously unfriendly to non-compete clauses, however, and including one in an employment agreement without a severance clause can result in the entire agreement being invalidated – with unpredictable results. Consult a California employment lawyer before you even consider inserting a non-compete clause into an employment agreement.

  • Inappropriate handling of employee disabilities (including pregnancy and psychiatric conditions):  Employers cannot unfairly discriminate in hiring people with disabilities. Hiring a disabled employee, however, triggers a host of legal requirements. Failure to take them seriously can result in lawsuits for astronomical damages.   

The foregoing is only the tip of the iceberg of potential California employment law violations. We have not even discussed many common violations such as failure to provide appropriate meal and break periods and requiring off-the-clock work. The services of a top-tier California employment lawyer become more and more necessary as your company grows.

Contact Us Today

If you are concerned that your company may be in violation of California employment law or if you simply need some questions answered to remain in compliance, call our office at 909-980-1040 or complete our online contact form to schedule a conference with us. We serve clients from throughout the Rancho Cucamonga area, including Alta Loma, Etiwanda, Upland, Fontana, Ontario, Chino Hills, and Claremont.