Articles by: Valerie Perdue

Supreme Court Upholds Arbitration Class Action Waivers

It’s official.  Class action waivers are enforceable in employment arbitration agreements.  On Monday, May 21, 2018 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the enforceability of the waivers in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis.  The Court resolved a conflict between the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) as to which Act trumped […]

California Supreme Court Redefines Independent Contractor Analysis

On April 30, 2018, the California Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court, completely overhauling (but not overruling) the independent contractor standard previously set forth in the seminal case of S.G. Borello & Sons, Inc. v. Department of Industrial Relations (1989) 48 Cal. 3d 341. All businesses using independent […]

ICE Inspections – What Employers Need to Know After AB 450

With the recent news regarding ICE raids on 7-11’s across the country, rumors of raids targeted at Northern California businesses and California’s Attorney General announcing plans to prosecute employers for violation of new laws passed through AB 450, employers should have a plan in place in the event of a raid. As of January 1 […]

Napa and Sonoma County Fires: Employer Resources and Obligations

In light of the devastating fires in Napa and Sonoma Counties, employers should be aware of some available resources and other obligations required by law. We have compiled some information regarding available benefits, employee pay, leaves, and other information Napa and Sonoma County employers may find useful, below. Unemployment Benefits Available   Disaster Unemployment Assistance […]

Employer Obligations for Heat Illness Prevention during Harvest

This weekend, the weather forecasters predict temperatures in Napa County will reach 108 degrees with parts of Sonoma County and Mendocino County topping 112 degrees.  Even in the early hours, agricultural laborers working harvest may be exposed to high heat conditions.  What follows is a quick refresher for those employers with outside work areas on […]