New Years Resolutions for California Employers
Provide Sexual Harassment Training.
Evaluate whether Interns Must Be Paid.
Pay Employees More.
Consider developing a social media policy for employees
Find ways to offset costs of 1-3.
1 - Training People to Act Right.
Yes, you must teach your employees what their parents failed to teach them. Good luck. Because of the pervasiveness of sexual harassment, California requires employers to provide two hours of sexual harassment training to supervisory employees and one hour of training to nonsupervisory employees.
This is applicable to employers with 5 or more employees. Temporary and seasonal workers are included in the employee count. All training must be complete by January 1, 2020.
2 - Does the Starbucks runner have to be paid?
Even though balancing frappuccinos and lattes may seem like a good life lesson, an employer may have to pay the runner if the company benefits more from the relationship than the runner benefits.
An intern can remain unpaid if an internship primarily benefits the intern and not the company.
3 - Inflation is real.
Beginning January 1, 2019, the California state minimum wage is $11/hour for employers with 5 or more employees and $12/hour for employers with 25 or more employees.
The Los Angeles County minimum wage is $13.25/hour for employers with 5 or more employees and $14.25 for employers with 25 or more employees. This rate goes into effect July 1, 2019.
4 - Social Media Policies
In this day in age, employees are taking to social media to praise (or complain about) employers, customers, and co-workers. What is your company's social media policy and does it comply with the law? Have you communicated to employees your expectations regarding their use of social media?
5 - Consult your accountant.
Maybe there are tax breaks that will offset the increased costs? Many business owners will get relief under the new tax plans. What better place to allocate those costs than to protect the investment that is your business?
If you have any questions about these or other changes that are taking effect in 2019, call or email us. We will be happy to chat about whatever opportunities for growth, also known as challenges, the new year brings you and your business.
by Taberah Holloway
